As part of the Hirschmann Lecture Series, the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry hosts guest speaker Matt Shoulders, Class of 1942 Professor of Chemistry at MIT. His topic will be "Proteostasis and Evolution." The seminar will be preceded by a reception at 4:30 p.m. in the Anderson Lounge. Sponsored by the Ralph F. Hirschmann Lectureship Fund.
Abstract:
Progress towards understanding the roles of host proteostasis networks in evolution at the host-pathogen interface will be presented. For example, we discovered that the biophysical consequences of host chaperone depletion strongly reduce the ability of influenza to escape innate immune system factors. Key mutations that helped drive the pathogenicity of the 1918 pandemic flu rely on specific host chaperones for their fitness. Newly discovered connections between host proteostasis and viral host-switching will also be discussed. Building on these findings, recent efforts to understand how chaperones shape the evolution of oncoproteins, including p53 the ‘guardian of the genome’, will be summarized.
Open to all members of the public
