BIOPHYSICAL STUDIES OF VIRUS PARTICLES AND THEIR MATURATION:
INSIGHTS INTO ELEGANTLY PROGRAMMED NANOMACHINES
TIME:
3:30 PM
LOCATION:
GMCS 214
SPEAKER:
John E. Johnson
Professor, Department of Molecular Biology
The Scripps Research Institute
ABSTRACT:
Complex virus particles such as HIV, Herpes
Viruses and dsDNA bacteriophages are programmed nano machines that assemble
in a fragile shell that matures through a series of intermediates to form
an infectious, robust particle. We have analyzed mature bacteriophage and
intermediates in maturation, defining the biophysical and mathematical nature
of the transitions and their driving forces. Through chemistry and physics,
these particles shape an energy landscape resulting in a series of exothermic
transitions and a final maturation that relies on a Brownian ratchet. The
presentation will describe the synthesis of structural and other biophysical
data that leads to an understanding of emergent biological behavior in terms
of physics and chemistry.
