On Sept. 28, 2021, the University of Missouri researcher Kamlendra Singh led a team that analyzed protein sequences for more than 300,000 COVID-19 samples of two emerging variants around the world, known as Delta and Delta Plus.

Using bioinformatics tools and programming, the team identified five specific mutations that are far more prevalent in Delta Plus infections compared to Delta infections, including one mutation, K417N, that is present in all Delta Plus infections but not present in nearly any Delta infections. The findings provide important clues to researchers about the structural changes to the virus recently and highlight the need to expand the toolbox in the fight against COVID-19.

“Evolutionary analysis of the Delta and Delta Plus variants of the SARS-CoV-2 viruses” was published in the Journal of Autoimmunity. Funding was provided by MU’s Bond Life Sciences Center and the National Strategic Research Institute at the University of Nebraska.