Visualizing antibody maturation for pathogenic viruses with cryo-EM
Discover how STEM-evolved monoclonal antibodies outpaced SARS-CoV-2 variants, revealed by cryo-EM structural insights.
Biophysics in Africa
Data Collection to Structure Refinement and Beyond
Event Type: Monthly Lecture
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Latest cryo-EM results from South Africa
The Electron Microscope Unit (EMU) at the University of Cape Town was established over sixty years ago as a regional imaging core facility serving the needs of the biological and materials science communities. Researchers in the EMU, with help from international scientists, have established the first single-particle cryo-EM resource in Africa. We support projects ranging…
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Effect of cyclonically draughted 35-60 kHz synthetic sounds of Odorrana tormota, Delphinapterus leucas, and male Anopheles gambiae on evoked Spatial Activity Index (SAI) and Protection Index (PI) in tropical mated female Anopheles gambiae
Malaria, a tropical disease caused by Plasmodium falciparum, is transmitted by the haematophagous mated female Anopheles gambiae. The P. falciparum is reported as the most prevalent malaria parasite responsible for severe morbidity, mortality, and worldwide economic burden. This calls for novel approaches targeting the vector to intervene malaria endemic. Natural and artificial sounds have been…
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Investigation of the structure-function specialisation of Hsp70 chaperone machines of the main agent of malaria, Plasmodium falciparum
Malaria remains a major killer disease whose main victims are communities living in the sub-Saharan African region. Its main victims are children (<5 years) and pregnant mothers. One of the key constraints towards malaria eradication and control is drug resistance. Malaria is caused by members of the Plasmodium genus of which P. falciparum causes the…
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SYNAPSE: a borderless scientific effort connecting global synchrotron resources to map animal brains
In response to the growing global demand for comprehensive connectome mapping, the SYNAPSE consortium was inaugurated in Singapore on January 15, 2020. It has since expanded beyond the Asia-Pacific region, with new members from Thailand, Jordan, and Poland sharing access to calibrated synchrotron microtomography beamlines across more than 10 synchrotron facilities. This approach is rooted…
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Cryogenic electron microscopy is revolutionizing biology: where are we now and the future ahead of us
Electron Microscopy under cryogenic temperatures is currently the fastest growing area in structural biology. Advances in instrumentation and software have made it possible for cryoEM to quite sustainably achieve resolutions in the order of 3Å or better for a wide range of biological specimens, without the need of crystallization or large scale protein production. I…
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Application of Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) for quantitative analysis of biophysics research
Spectroscopic analysis technique has attained greater traction in Biophysics research and education for quantitative detection of bulk elemental composition of a wide variety of sample like powders, solids, liquids, suspensions and biota. This paper examines the application of inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (Agilent technologies 5110 ICP-OES) for quantitative analysis in biophysics research. ICP-OES…
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Monoclonal antibodies neutralizing snake venom long & short chain three finger neurotoxins
Snakebite envenomation is a neglected tropical disease killing >135,000 people annually, predominantly in developing countries. Polyvalent antivenom is the only treatment, but it’s made through outdated technology. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are the logical alternative for developing next-generation antivenom medicines. Here, we isolated a pair of antivenom mAbs that broadly cross-neutralized long and short chain three…