Dear Colleague,
I inform you that there will be the online Department discussion on Tuesday, 11th May, 2021 from 08:30 on the Zoom.
Professor Panyi urges that EVERYONE can login, however if you can't do it please send me an email to biophys@med.unideb.hu .
The lecturer is Prof. Dr. Miklós Kellermayer (Department of Biophysics and Radiation Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University),
title: "Single-particle virology"
Abstract: The development of advanced experimental methodologies, such as optical tweezers, scanning-probe and super-resolved optical microscopies, has led to the evolution of single-molecule biophysics, a field of science that allows direct access to the mechanistic detail of biomolecular structure and function. The extension of singlemolecule methods to the investigation of particles such as viruses permits unprecedented insights into molecular mechanisms. Of particular outstanding interest is the exploration of the biophysical properties of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the current COVID-19 pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 displays a corona-shaped layer of spikes which play fundamental role in the infection process. By imaging and mechanically manipulating individual, native SARS-CoV-2 virions with atomic force microscopy, we have recently shown that their surface displays a dynamic brush owing to the flexibility and rapid motion of the spikes. The virions are highly compliant and able to recover from drastic mechanical perturbations. Their global structure is remarkably temperature resistant, but the virion surface becomes progressively denuded of spikes upon thermal exposure. The dynamics and the mechanics of SARS-CoV-2 are likely to affect its stability and interactions. Thus, in an era of increased awareness towards virology, single-particle approaches are expected to facilitate the in-depth understanding, and hence combating, of viral diseases.