Tuesday, April 7 | 11:00 a.m. – Noon
Classroom Building 170

Investigating protein-protein interactions to develop anti-pathogen and anti-inflammatory strategies

The LiWang laboratory applies protein biochemistry and biophysical approaches to investigate molecular interactions that are central to human health and disease. A   major focus of our work has been the design and mechanistic study of antiviral proteins, including the potent HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 inhibitor Griffithsin. More recently, this work has expanded to explore Griffithsin’s activity as an antifungal agent, broadening its therapeutic potential. In parallel, we study proteins that regulate inflammation, with particular emphasis on chemokines which are small signaling proteins that activate and direct the migration of immune cells. The virally encoded protein vCCI binds chemokines with high affinity and inhibits their function, making it a promising broadly acting anti-inflammatory scaffold. Using an integrated strategy that combines experimental biophysics with molecular dynamics simulations, we dissect the molecular basis of the vCCI–chemokine interaction and engineer variants that both illuminate the underlying mechanisms and advance the development of therapeutically relevant molecules.

About the Speaker

Patricia LiWang received her PhD from Harvard University and did postdoctoral research at the National Institutes of Health. She had a brief first academic appointment at Purdue University, followed by moving to Texas A&M University where she received tenure. In 2008, she moved to the University of California Merced (before there were actual departments), eventually becoming a full professor and the first chair of the almost-department of Molecular Cell Biology. Through the years she had many positions at UC Merced, including being Chair of Merced’s Academic Senate. She is currently the Chair of the Chemistry & Biochemistry graduate group and the Chair of the Committee on Academic Freedom.