Scientific American - USA (2022-05)

May 2022, ScientificAmerican.com 59

Mutations

RBDs

N-terminal

domain

N-terminal
domain

Omicron

Immune System Avoidance Spike protein

Antibodies try to attack the novel coronavirus, or SARS-CoV-2,

by binding to areas on its spike protein. But the Omicron variant

has many mutations ( red balls ) to amino acids in two important

spike regions ( red tinted areas ): the receptor-binding domains

(RBDs) and the N-terminal domain. As a result, antibodies that

would ordinarily neutralize the intruder do not.