Bioinformatics and Artificial Intelligence to Combat Covid-19 and Beyond

Abstract

COVID-19 perhaps is the greatest and tremendously
significant crisis against Homo sapiens sapiens in
the contemporary history of the globe. The group of
coronaviridae includes viruses with very long RNA genomes
up to 33000 nucleotides. SARS-CoV-2 belongs to the
Sarbecovirus provided with approximate genome size of
30000 nucleotides [1]. SARS-CoV-2 has four main structural
proteins: spike (S), envelope (E), membrane (M) and
nucleocapsid (N). Additionally some other non-structural
proteins are encoded in the pp1a and pp1ab polyproteins,
essential for viral replication [1]. SARS-CoV-2 seems to use
the human receptor ACE2 as its main entry point [2]. The
binding domains for ACE2 are located on the spike proteins,
which further contain a novel furin cleavage site, associated
with increased pathogenicity and transmission potential
[3]. Because of the rapid rate of mutations on the rate of
infectivity has also increased leading to so many variants
caused first, second and third wave of infection throughout
the world. On the other hand the vaccine formulation and
creation of vaccine has rather been appeared as difficult
and the impending Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
pandemic has posed a major threat to public health around
the world [4], necessitating the provision of an urgent
vaccination. Governments, healthcare institutions, and the
public all across the world are concerned about the COVID-19
pandemic. The globe has not witnessed an outbreak of this
magnitude since the Spanish Flu decimated the planet in the
early half of the twentieth century.