TITLE:

BIOPHYSICAL STUDIES OF VIRUS PARTICLES AND THEIR MATURATION: INSIGHTS INTO ELEGANTLY PROGRAMMED NANOMACHINES

DATE:

Friday, February 22nd, 2008

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.

HOST:

Joe Mahaffy

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