Seminar: "Glycan biophysics and how it percolates virus solution behavior and the nano-delivery of biologics"

The surface of cells, proteins, and pathogens is covered with a string of sugars called glycans. Of the two major types of glycans, N-glycans are the most prevalent and the sequence of sugars in it has been well conserved evolutionarily. Our overall objective is to understand the biophysical relevance of the sugar sequence in N-glycans, and it can be harnessed for self-assembly and cell delivery? Using a virus platform to present these sugars, we tease out the biophysics rendered unique to each sugar. It appears that aggregation of viruses like HIV and VSV follows the short-range or long-range adhesion biophysics of the terminal sugars. Sugars like mannose can be used to assemble buckling shells of DNA, which can be stuffed with proteins for multiplexing DNA and protein delivery into cells. We are currently investigating how glycan biophysics influences the mucin transport of virus and biologics.

Zoom

Meeting ID: 912 1233 8898
Passcode: 805224