Almost as quickly as SARS-CoV-2 turned the world on its head, the spike protein studding its surface became a molecular celebrity. It is the virus's key to our cells, hence a critical target: Many promising treatments and vaccines aim to unleash antibodies that find and obstruct the spike.

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But like any other virus, the coronavirus mutates as it propagates, which has raised worrying questions: What if a mutation comes along changes the shape of the spike, rendering it is unrecognizable to antibody-based therapeutics but still capable of prying our cells open?

Recent experiments by Rockefeller scientists suggest this is indeed a possibility, while also delivering some good news. Their findings show the virus's talent as an escape artist is limited, and could be undercut with drugs that combine several types of antibodies.