Professor Michael Chapman
Chemistry and Biochemistry
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL

Monday, April 14, 2003
3:00 pm (CT)
3269 Beckman Institute

Abstract

Adeno-Associated Virus-2 (AAV-2) is being used in clinical and pre-clinical trials of gene therapies as a potential cure for various inherited disorders. Engineered virus is used as a vector for the delivery of the therapeutic DNA into diseased cells. Future challenges include the targeting of the virus to specific cell types and evasion of immune neutralization during delivery. We hope to provide a rational basis for the engineering of the viral capsid through biophysical characterization of the atomic structure, and relevant complexes. Determination of the large (~1 million atom) structure will be described, as will its implications for understanding viral-host interactions at the molecular level

Tea and coffee will be served in R3151 Beckman Institute at 2:15pm.