We are pleased to have Prof. Prem Chapagain from FIU Physics Department as our colloquium speaker for this week. The talk is scheduled for Thursday, September 22, from 1:45pm-2:45pm in DM 409A. Also, we will have coffee & cookies around 1:30pm. The speaker was invited by Professor Sneh Gulati.
 

Abstract: The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought interdisciplinary biomedical researchers together at an unprecedented level, and computational techniques have played a crucial role in understanding and tackling the disease. These include disease modeling, structure determination, and exploring the molecular mechanisms as well as identifying therapeutic and vaccine candidates. In this talk, projects focusing on the use of computer simulations to understand viral and bacterial diseases will be discussed. These include investigations of the cell attachment and immune evasion by SARS-CoV-2 variants, matrix protein-plasma membrane interactions in viral assembly and budding of filoviruses and paramyxoviruses, and designing novel antimicrobial compounds to confront the threat of antimicrobial resistance.