“Locking on” to the early stages of the virus-cell interaction with active-feedback microscopy

Abstract

Single-virus tracking (SVT) studies have led to a wealth of information on the viral infection pathway that could not be extracted from bulk infectivity assays. However, SVT studies have been limited in their application to the early phases of viral infection, where the virus makes its way through the complex extracellular space to reach the cell surface. This phase of the infection process is particularly critical for respiratory viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2, which must navigate the mucus and periciliary layers to infect epithelial cells in the airway.