The work is the culmination of three years of modelling on supercomputers, with the aid of available data of virus structures measured via cryo-electron microscopy.

Whereas it is not the first reconstruction overall, says the university, it is unique in replicating the precise chemical and 3D structure of a ‘live’ virus.

The research, titled ‘Reconstruction and validation of entire virus model with complete genome from mixed resolution cryo-EM density’, was led by Dr Dmitry Nerukh, of Aston’s College of Engineering and Physical Science’s Mathematics department, whose work with collaborators is published in ResearchGate’s Faraday Discussions.

In a statement, the university said that the work could lead the way to an alternative to antibiotics, with the advantage of helping to counter the threat of anti-bacterial resistance.

“This new method of creating more accurate models will open up further research into using bacteriophage to kill specific life-threatening bacteria,” said the statement.

Dr Nerukh said the opportunity to study the genome within a virus more clearly could help eventually to ascertain how a bacteriophage infects and counters a bacterium. 

 “This could lead to targeted treatments to kill bacteria which are dangerous to humans, and to reduce the global problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria which are over time becoming more and more serious,” he explained.