Timothy Dore, associate professor of chemistry at NYU Abu Dhabi, and his research team are looking at ways to build broad-spectrum anti-virals that would target the virus that causes COVID-19.

Anti-viral drugs work by blocking the virus from replicating itself in the host. Dore and his team are investigating ways to block the action of several proteins that are critical for the survival of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and related viruses.

The results of this work will not arrive in time to address the current pandemic, but if they are able to successfully create drug candidates that can be tested in the clinic, it would enable better preparedness for future outbreaks of diseases caused by coronaviruses and their relatives.

The team of scientists is leveraging its expertise in medicinal chemistry, structure-based drug design, and computational modeling and virtual screening.

Dore’s scientific interests lie at the interface of chemistry and biology, creating new technology to study complex biological systems