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SUMMARY:Computational Design of Novel Functional Proteins: Case Studies in
  Vaccine Design
DTSTART:20140327T100000
DTSTAMP:20260527T190424Z
UID:9e20d5437f43a3f42ed4860157c96f37d798eb7817cbf83521f9af58
CATEGORIES:Conferences - Seminars
DESCRIPTION:Bruno Correia\, Ph.D.\, The Scripps Research Institute\, La Jo
 lla\, CA (USA)\nBIOENGINEERING SEMINARAbstract:\nThe full capability to ma
 nipulate protein structure and function holds the promise to make transfor
 mative contributions in diverse scientific domains. Novel nanomaterials\, 
 enzymes and proteins with biomedical applications are all within the reach
  of protein engineers. Computational protein design has made critical cont
 ributions to enable structure-based design. Vaccine research could greatly
  benefit from new strategies to produce cheap and efficacious vaccines aga
 inst pathogens that remain elusive to traditional approaches\, becoming se
 rious global health burdens. Rapid discovery and structural characterizati
 on of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnabs) are quickly uncovering sites
  of vulnerability in pathogens. Computational methodologies have been deve
 loped to perform structure-based design of immunogens to re-elicit neutral
 izing antibodies against conserved epitopes\, providing the foundation for
  epitope-focused vaccines. The designed immunogens mimic relevant epitope 
 conformations recognized by bnabs and were dubbed epitope-scaffolds (ES). 
 I will present two case studies for the design of epitope-scaffolds.\nIn a
  first case study\, I will present the design of an HIV ES where we used c
 omputational design to guide in vitro evolution experiments and showed tha
 t this hybrid computational-experimental approach can accomplish challengi
 ng protein design problems.\nIn a second case study\, I will present Roset
 ta Fold From Loops\, a new method to fold and design novel proteins around
  functional sites of interest. I designed ESs to mimic an epitope from Res
 piratory Syncytial Virus\, a relevant vaccine target. Remarkably\, potent 
 neutralization activity was elicited in ES immunized animals. These result
 s provide a proof of principle for the use of ESs for vaccine development 
 and support its potential to target other pathogens that remain elusive to
  vaccine development\, like HIV and Influenza.\nMore generally\, the resul
 ts support that computational protein design can play an important role in
  generating novel proteins relevant for fundamental and biomedical researc
 h applications.Bio:\n2004 B.S. in Chemistry\, Faculdade de Ciências e Tec
 nologia da Universidade de Coimbra (P)\n2010 Ph.D. in Computational Biolog
 y\, ITQB - Universidade Nova de Lisboa (P)\nCurrent and Previous Scientifi
 c Activities:\n2011-current  Research Associate\, Department of Chemical 
 Physiology\, The Scripps Research Institute\, La Jolla\, CA (USA)\n2006-20
 11  Ph.D. Student and Research Associate\, University of Washington\, Sea
 ttle\, WA (USA)\n2005-2006  Ph.D. Student\, Instituto Gulbenkian Ciência
  (P)\n2005  Research Technician\, University of Warwick (UK)\n2004  B.S.
  Student\, University of Warwick (UK)\n2003-2004  B.S. Student\, Universi
 dade de Coimbra (P)
LOCATION:SV1717A http://map.epfl.ch/?room=sv1717a
STATUS:CONFIRMED
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