Professor Michael Parker from the St Vincent's Institute in Melbourne says the 3D model will help give scientists a greater understanding of what causes the virus.
Using the most powerful super-computer in the Southern Hemisphere, the modelling will be used to develop drugs that directly attack the common cold. It could also be helpful to help scientists understand and treat related viruses, such as polio and certain types of viral menangitis.
Despite the breakthrough technology, Professor Parker believes a cure for the common cold may still elude scientists for some time yet.
"I don't believe you can get a cure for the common cold, because the common cold is caused by more than two hundred viruses. Rhinovirus itself has got 100 different types, so I think it would be a real challenge to develop a cure, or even a vaccine."
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