Single molecule biophysics perspective on SARS-CoV-2

COVID-19 is a novel threat which emerged at the end of 2019 and has caused enormous losses of human lives and had a significant effect on human health and worldwide economy. Although the viral spread seems to be very strongly influenced by population-scale factors such as prior exposure to the virus or vaccination state, it is informative to consider what biophysics tells us about the virus sensitivity to temperature and humidity. I will present our results from a variety of measurement techniques and their implication for how environmental conditions affect SARS-CoV-2. I will also briefly discuss our other recent biophysics efforts at the University of Utah.