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Signature Seminar Series: Genetic Screens Identify New Entry Receptors for Arboviruses
ABOUT THIS LECTURE:
Most arboviruses are enveloped, insect-transmitted, RNA viruses that infect humans and other animals and cause a range of clinical manifestations, including arthritis, musculoskeletal disease, meningitis, encephalitis, and death. Over the past several years, aided by CRISPR/Cas9 - based genetic screening approaches, our group has focused on identifying entry receptors for alphaviruses to better understand the basis for cellular and species tropism. In more recent studies, we extended this approach to flaviviruses. In this talk, I will describe our recent genetic screens that have identified new candidate receptors for multiple flavivruses. The identification of new receptors advances our understanding of viral pathogenesis, tropism, and evolution and is expected to contribute to the development of novel strategies for prevention and treatment of arbovirus infection.
HOST:
Prof Lok Sheemei
Deputy Director
Emerging Infectious Diseases Programme
Duke-NUS Medical School
VENUE:
Duke-NUS Medical School
Amphitheatre, Level 2
CONTACT PERSON:
Ms Kathleen Chan (kathleen.chan@duke-nus.edu.sg)
Duke-NUS Research Affairs Department
Date and Time
17 Oct 2025 @ 15:00 - 17 Oct 2025 @ 16:00
Speaker
Prof Michael Diamond
Herbert S. Gasser Professor
Departments of Medicine, Molecular Microbiology,
Pathology & Immunology
Washington University in St. Louis
Dr. Diamond’s laboratory studies the molecular basis of disease of globally emerging RNA viruses, and focuses on the interface between pathogenesis and host immunity. He identified many of the key innate and adaptive immune system components that define protection against flaviviruses, and the viral genes that antagonize this response. Dr. Diamond is an elected member of many prestigious societies, most recently to the National Academy of Sciences.