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.