Viral entry and its discontents: measuring dynamics, inhibitors, and anticipating viral evolution

 

 

Enveloped viruses infect human cells using surface proteins that bind cellular receptors and drive membrane rearrangements to permit genome entry.  We develop computational and experimental methods to understand this dynamic process, permit assessment of therapeutic candidates, and understand the barriers to host-species jumps.  I will discuss two core technologies and our work, both past and future, to apply them:  1) computational methods to drive model refinement using sparse experimental data and 2) a platform that uses programmable DNA assembly to chemically bypass the requirement for viruses to bind human receptors.  We can use this platform to measure how and where antibodies and small molecules inhibit viral entry but also go one step beyond to anticipate future pandemic threats and how they may be combatted.