BIOPHYSICS SEMINAR Featuring Peijun Zhang "HIV-1 Capsid Assembly, Maturation & Host Cell Interactions"

Abstract

My research program is interested in understanding the structural mechanisms of macromlecular assemblies using an integrated approach by combining three-dimensional cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM), with biochemical, biophysical, computational methods. With the recent advance in direct electron detection, cryoEM has become a powerful tool for structure determination of protein complexes and assemblies. Our current research efforts are directed to two such large assemblies: HIV-1 viral capsid and bacterial chemotaxis receptor signaling arrays. In this presentation I will focus on HIV-1 capsid assembly, maturation and interaction with host cell factors that modulate viral infectivity. I will also present some of the technologies we developed, in particular the correlative fluorescent light microscopy and cryoEM method (CLEM), to advance our understanding of HIV-1 pathogenesis.