For the Public

Diamond is currently working on a wide range of COVID-19 related projects that teach us more about the virus and how we can combat it. We are looking at the fundamental interactions of the virus, from which it is hoped new therapies can be developed. But we are also studying how existing drugs, that have already been tested and approved for other diseases, can be repurposed and used to treat patients. The array of specialised facilities at Diamond allow for many different techniques to be used, from looking at the structure of the virus and fitting drugs into it, like a tiny jigsaw puzzle, to taking direct images of the virus without its infectious component, so we can see how it interacts with drugs.

Diamond’s work on COVID-19 related projects has been covered widely by the media. Here are some media highlights.

• On the 13^th July, a number of media outlets, including BBC News, Sky News and The Independent published a piece outlining how Antibodies derived from llamas have been shown to neutralise the SARS-CoV-2 virus in lab tests.This fascinating research is the result of a collaboration between scientists from Diamond Light Source, the Rosalind Franklin Institute, Oxford University and Public Health England. 
• On the 26^th June, Channel News Asia broadcasted a video explainig how scientists are crowdsourcing a potential COVID-19 treatment.
• On the 21st June, the South African tv channel DStv released a short documentary showing how Diamond's powerful x-rays are helping to identify weak spots in the structure of SARS-CoV-2.

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