Enterovirus 71 (EV71) continues to cause disease outbreaks around the world. The 2018 outbreak in Vietnam was associated with over 50,000 clinical cases and at least six deaths1 and in the same year in Colorado, USA, 16 children with neurological diseases including meningitis, encephalitis and acute flaccid myelitis were identified. EV71 is a picornavirus and its capsid contains 60 copies of each of four proteins VP1-VP4, arranged with pseudo T = 3 symmetry7. The capsid accommodates surface depressions ("canyons") around the fivefold vertex of each pentamer, which are the proposed interaction site for two identified cell receptors, Pselectin glycoprotein ligand-1 and heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan.