MBS Seminar - Inherent symmetry and flexibility in hepatitis B virus subviral particles

Title: Inherent symmetry and flexibility in hepatitis B virus subviral particles

Speaker: Professor Rao Zihe, Tsinghua University

Abstract: Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection presents a significant global health challenge, characterized by substantial morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. Despite the existence of a preventive vaccine, current treatment options offer limited efficacy in clearing the virus, necessitating lifelong management. The diagnosis and prognosis of HBV heavily rely on its surface antigen (HBsAg). However, despite extensive research efforts, detailed high-resolution structures of HBsAg and its assembly on the virus envelope have remained elusive. We have employed sophisticated strategies and advanced computational tools to uncover the near-atomic resolution structure of HBsAg and its assembly. 

Bio: Professor Zihe Rao of Tsinghua University is a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and EMBO. Professor Rao also severed as President of Nankai University, Director-General of the Institute of Biophysics of CAS, and President of International Union for Pure and Applied Biophysics (IUPAB). Professor Rao has revealed fundamental structure-function and mechanistic insights to the replication/transcription, assembly and host invasion of Coronavirus, Retrovirus, Hepatitis A virus, Hepatitis B virus, Influenza virus, Picornavirus, Herpesvirus, Africa-Swine-Fever-virus and other disease-causing viruses, and uncovered how Mycobacterium tuberculosis achieves metabolite/energy transport and drug resistance. Professor Rao has published over 450 peer reviewed papers, including 30 papers in Science, Nature and Cell with over 37,000 citations. He and his team have been selected three times for the "Top Ten Scientific Achievements in China".