Сколтех — новый технологический университет, созданный в 2011 году в Москве командой российских и зарубежных профессоров с мировым именем. Здесь преподают действующие ученые, студентам дана свобода в выборе дисциплин, обучение включает работу над собственным исследовательским проектом, стажировку в индустрии, предпринимательскую подготовку и постоянное нахождение в международной среде.

Архив метки: virus

Seminar: RNA Degradation By HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase Protein

Scanning electron micrograph of HIV-1, colored green, budding from a cultured lymphocyte. Image courtesy of wikipedia

Scanning electron micrograph of HIV-1, colored green, budding from a cultured lymphocyte. Image courtesy of wikipedia

The HIV virus, which causes AIDS, has been the target of much debate and research over the last thirty years. Out of four enzymatic activities that it imposes on its host cells, three have been been successfully targeted by antiviral drugs. But one viral protein – Reverse Transcriptase – still eludes researchers and haunts humanity. Join us as Dr. Mikalai Lapkouski gives a seminar on a new initiative to tackle RT and ultimately save lives, titled “RNA Degradation By HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase Protein”.

 

When: October 20, 2014; 13.30 – 15.00

Where: Beijing-1 Auditorium, China cluster; Skolkovo School of Management

 

SEMINAR ABSTRACT:

HIV-1 is a lentivirus and the etiological agent of AIDS, a global pandemic for more than three decades. The viral protein Reverse Transcriptase (RT) is essential for the replication of HIV as it converts viral genomic RNA into DNA, which integrates into the cell genome. In addition to its RNA- or DNA-dependent DNA polymerase functions, the viral RT contains an RNase-H activity, which hydrolyzes the RNA strand of an RNA/DNA hybrid.

Three of the four HIV-1 encoded enzymatic activities (pro­tease, integrase and DNA polymerase) have been successfully targeted by antiviral drugs. However, drug resistance contin­ues to pose a major challenge, and new viral and host targets for drug development are needed. No inhibitor of RNase H has advanced to clini­cal trials. To find an efficient inhibitor more information is needed of how RT recognizes, binds and acts on its nucleic acid substrates.

We used an X-ray crystallography and report three structures of HIV-1 RT complexed with a non-nucleotide RT inhibitor and an RNA/DNA hybrid. In the presence of he inhibitor, the RNA/DNA structure differs from all prior nucleic acid–RT structures. In our research we gained deep insight into the HIV-1 RT mechanism of action  as well as explained RT mutations that confer drug resistance but are distant from the inhibitor-binding sites, which often map to the unique RT-RNA/DNA interface that undergoes conformational changes between two catalytic states.

 

SPEAKER INTRODUCTION:

Dr. Mikalai Lapkouski has graduated in year 2005 from Belarusian State University, biochemistry department in Minsk. He received his PhD from the Institute of Physical Biology, University of South Bohemia in Czech Republic. He then trained as a Postdoctoral Fellow at The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH) in USA. He is currently working as a scientist at Centre for Structural Systems Biology/Karolinska Institute in Hamburg, Germany.

Dr. Mikalai’s interests are focused on the action of proteins and their complexes with other proteins as well as DNA and RNA molecules. These proteins and their complexes are involved in various crucial pathways in cell. It is important to study these molecules as mutations and malfunction in their action often cause serious diseases. Proteins, which come from pathogens and compromise human health, are also of a big interest.

The main methods he uses in his research are structural biology in tight alley with cell- molecular biology and biochemistry.

 

* The Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) is a private graduate research university in Skolkovo, Russia, a suburb of Moscow. Established in 2011 in collaboration with MIT, Skoltech educates global leaders in innovation, advances scientific knowledge, and fosters new technologies to address critical issues facing Russia and the world. Applying international research and educational models, the university integrates the best Russian scientific traditions with twenty-first century entrepreneurship and innovation.

Seminar: ‘Host-Pathogen Interaction: Understanding The Immune Surveillance To Harness The Therapeutic Potential’

MRSA antibiotics resistant 'superbug' bacteria. Image courtesy of mfablog.ca

MRSA antibiotics resistant ‘superbug’ bacteria. Image courtesy of mfablog.ca

The immune system is a complex, fascinating machine that keeps our bodies safe against external and internal enemies. Can we find new ways to harness the molecules it deploys to treat infectious diseases or autoimmune and inflammatory conditions? Prof. Srinivas Kaveri , our guest lecturer at the Skoltech seminar, has a few answers to this life and death question.

When: August 28, 2014 13.30 – 15.00

Where: Beijing-1 Auditorium, China cluster, Skolkovo School of Management

SEMINAR ABSTRACT:

Everyday, in our body, millions of cells take birth, communicate with each other, generate many substances and sometimes die. All this is done to ensure the maintenance of the homeostasis of the organism. Some of these cells have an important task – that of sentinels. The immune system through its cells and molecules protects the host against infectious pathogens (bacteria, virus, fungus, parasites) and unwanted internal invasion, such as emergence of cancers, at the same time ensuring that it does not attack the self tissues and organs.

Despite this powerful check, some pathogens can cause serious infections by escaping the immune surveillance. What strategies do these pathogens use to escape the immune surveillance?

The same system of sentinel sometimes is dysregulated and turns out to become aggressive against our own organs – leading to most dreadful autoimmune diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, hepatitis, multiple sclerosis. What are the causes for this dysregulation? How can one harness the very molecules of the immune system to treat infectious diseases or autoimmune and inflammatory conditions?

Prof. Srinivas Kaveri, our guest lecturer at the Skoltech seminar

Prof. Srinivas Kaveri, our guest lecturer at the Skoltech seminar

SPEAKER INTRODUCTION:

Srinivas Kaveri received his basic formation in Veterinary Medicine in Bangalore India, and Ph.D. at the Pasteur Institute, Paris. He carried out post-doctoral research training with Professor Heinz Kohler at IDEC pharmaceuticals and University of California, San Diego, USA

Currently, Srinivas Kaveri is leading a research team at the Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers University of Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris. His team has been involved with the basic and applied aspects of research on immunopathology and immunotherapy. His research interests include: i) host-pathogen interactions, ii) exploiting the therapeutic potential of antibodies in the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory disease, and iii) immunogenicity of therapeutics molecules such as Factor VIII.

 

 

 

 

* The Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) is a private graduate research university in Skolkovo, Russia, a suburb of Moscow. Established in 2011 in collaboration with MIT, Skoltech educates global leaders in innovation, advance scientific knowledge, and foster new technologies to address critical issues facing Russia and the world. Applying international research and educational models, the university integrates the best Russian scientific traditions with twenty-first century entrepreneurship and innovation.

Skoltech Experts about the Ebola Outbreak: “Russian and US labs already analyze the deadly new virus”

Ebola virus particles. Colorized scanning electron micrograph of filamentous Ebola virus particles budding from a chronically infected VERO E6 cell (35,000x magnification). Photo courtesy of NIAID, Flickr

Ebola virus particles. Colorized scanning electron micrograph of filamentous Ebola virus particles budding from a chronically infected VERO E6 cell (35,000x magnification). Photo courtesy of NIAID, Flickr

With West Africa reeling from the deadliest-ever Ebola outbreak, cases reported in Western Europe, and American aid workers infected the nasty virus seems on the cusp of becoming a horrifying global phenomenon. Media hype and panic mongering aside, what about some sober, scientific facts about a seemingly incurable disease? Could it be compared to the Spanish flu pandemic which wiped out five percent of the global population a century ago? We have asked Skoltech biomedicine experts to assess the situation. Here is what Professor Konstantin Severinov and doctoral researcher Anna Pavlova had to say about the outbreak that has taken the lives of more than a thousand people this year.

Q: The Ebola virus has been around for a long time. What makes this particular string particularly aggressive? Is it easier to contract or does it wreak its damage on the body more effectively?

Konstantin Severinov: “We actually do not know for how many years have Ebola been around. However, it is true that it has been endemic in certain African countries, with cases reported every year. It has been also known to affect ape populations there. In fact people who get infected often get the virus though consumption of bush meat.

“The current outbreak is unusual because of its scale. To tie the larger number of observed cases with some specific changes in the virus, one would need to perform analysis of genomes of viruses isolated from present-day victims and older isolates, for example those that are stored in several high security labs in the US and Russia. This is almost certainly being done now, but the results are not known yet, so no conclusions can be made.”

Anna Pavlova worked as a doctor before joining Skoltech: "The problem with Ebola is that it is hard and often impossible to stop the bleeding when the hemostatic system is unbalanced"

Anna Pavlova worked as a doctor before joining Skoltech: “The problem with Ebola is that it is hard and often impossible to stop the bleeding”

Anna Pavlova: “One of the top five most dangerous pathogens in the World, Ebola kills up to 90 per cent of infected humans. There is no treatment and no vaccine. The virus evades the immune system by inhibiting the early steps of activation of a type of white blood cells called neutrophil. The white blood cells serve as carriers to transport the virus throughout the entire body to places such as lymph nodes, liver, lungs, and spleen. The sad result of the infection bleeding from and into the skin, vomiting and coughing blood, or passing it urine and stool. In general, bleeding symptoms often indicate the worst prognosis. Patients ultimately die from a combination of dehydration, massive bleeding, and shock.

Q: Should people brace themselves for a world epidemic? Is this the perfect virus tsunami? Or just media hyped panic?

KS: “This virus is transmitted only upon exchange of bodily fluids (i.e., blood). In the absence of natural reservoir, which is probably some species of African bats, it cannot spread efficiently between humans particularly in countries with modern standards of medical practice. So this is a cause for concern and more research, but certainly not panic.”

AP: “At the Center of Hematology where I have worked as a doctor, I’ve witnessed firsthand the efforts to treat a lot of patients with acute leukemia who were dying of hemorrhagic syndrome. It is hard and often impossible to stop bleeding when the hemostatic system is unbalanced, decompensated and exhausted.  And this is the main cause of this awful human mortality rate from Ebola.”

Q: One of World War I’s enduring and menacing legacies is the Spanish flu. Despite much talk about SARS, Marburg and other deadly viruses humanity seems to have been spared something similar in magnitude over the past hundred years. Why? Might things be different now?

KS: “Humanity is not really “spared” from the flu virus which infects humans globally on a yearly basis, mostly during cold season. The “success” (from the virus point of view) of that virus was due to several mutations that made it highly infectious. With time, the nastiness of a parasite, a virus or bacteria, tends to decrease and it is better tolerated by the host. This is due to changes both in the parasite and its host that allow for more mild interaction. So the humankind may not encounter such a hugely successful flu virus as was the Spanish flu.”

Professor Konstantin Severinov: “The current Ebola outbreak is unusual because of its scale."

Professor Konstantin Severinov: “The current Ebola outbreak is unusual because of its scale.”

Q: Have you seen the 1990’s blockbuster film ‘outbreak’ featuring Dustin Hoffman as a fearless and selfless researcher? \

KS: Yep.

Q: Should we all stock up on biohazard suits like in that movie?

KS: “Definitely not. Certainly not in Moscow.”

 

 

* The Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) is a private graduate research university in Skolkovo, Russia, a suburb of Moscow. Established in 2011 in collaboration with MIT, Skoltech educates global leaders in innovation, advances scientific knowledge, and fosters new technologies to address critical issues facing Russia and the world. Applying international research and educational models, the university integrates the best Russian scientific traditions with twenty-first century entrepreneurship and innovation.

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