Join us for our second seminar of the 2023/2024 Academic year.

October 18, 4pm ET

Zaky Hassan

PhD Candidate, University of Toronto

Bio:

Zaky is a fourth year PhD candidate in the Biochemistry department at the University of Toronto. He previously completed an HBSc in Biochemistry also from the University of Toronto. Outside of the lab, Zaky works with Visions of Science as a community coordinator, creating and facilitating programming focused on improving STEM accessibility for Black students in highschool and postsecondary.

Exploring the differences in carbohydrate binding coronaviruses that cause human disease

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause disease in mammals and birds and can be categorized into two groups – those that use proteins as receptors and those that use sugars (carbohydrates) as receptors. For protein binding coronaviruses, we have a good understanding of how they interact with their receptors, and how they enter our cells. For carbohydrate binding coronaviruses however, we have a very limited understanding of the receptors they use beyond a requirement for sialic acid, a type of sugar commonly found on cell surfaces. Our previous work has shown that various strains of carbohydrate binding coronaviruses have differences in their sugar binding site – resulting in different preferences for various sialylated carbohydrates. Using structural, biochemical, and biophysical tools, we are identifying the various types of receptors used by these viruses, and investigating the mechanism of receptor interaction.  Our work will shed light on the receptor interactions for a disease causing group of viruses with pandemic potential that are relatively understudied, and will hopefully lay the groundwork for future vaccine and therapeutic development.

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Our monthly online seminar series, features STEMM scholarship from across disciplines, aimed at a general STEMM audience.

All are welcome!

• 4pm ET
• Third Wednesday of every month
• September 2024 through April 2024.

Register once and we will remind you each month.

Watch this space for seminar speaker announcements!

• September 20
• October 18
• November 15
• December 20
• January 17
• February 21
• March 20
• April 17

The CBSN/RCSN gratefully acknowledges the University of Toronto Scarborough and its support as the Network Host Institution, and the Academic Program Committee of the Network for the BE-STEMM Seminar Series.