PHD – Graduate Student Literature Seminar, Karen Yrene Paco Mendivil, PhD Student

Join us as PhD in Applied Life Sciences student Karen Yrene Paco Mendivil speaks about: Liquid Phase Separation and Protein Aggregation in Disease.

Mechanisms that lead to the spatiotemporal organization of intracellular biochemistry have shown importance in the development of protein aggregation diseases. Cellular compartments organize biological matter. However, there are membrane-less compartments that are modifiers of biochemical reactions^1,2. Recent studies suggest that membrane-less compartments are formed via phase separation. Phase separation of biomolecules leads the formation of assemblies with different biophysical properties that are indispensable for the viability of cells and this process is also very sensitive to changes in physical/chemical conditions^3,4. Intrinsically disordered proteins are thought to be components of membrane-less compartments due to their high degree of flexibility. These prion-like proteins contain many residues that are modifiable by numerous post-translational modifications.  As a result, a small change in their binding affinities can promote a shift from a healthy physiological state to a pathological assembly⁵. In this seminar, we will discuss the bases of liquid phase separation and its relevance to diseases.

• Date and Time: Friday, March 6, 2020 at 11:00 – 11:50 a.m.
• Location: Building 121 – Classroom 1110