University of Toronto
                  PDE/Applied Math/Analysis Seminar
                    Wednesday 23 May 2007, 2:10-3:00pm
                          6183 Bahen Center      



SPEAKER:  Reidun Twarock

TITLE:    Mathematical Models for the Structure and Assembly of Viruses

ABSTRACT: 

Viruses have a protein shell that encapsulates and hence provides
protection for the viral genome. It has long been recognised that
viral capsids are highly symmetrical, and that the organisation of the
proteins in the capsids follows icosahedral symmetry. In this talk we
discuss how the surface structures of the cancer-causing Papovaviridae
can be predicted using group theory. Moreover, we show that the full
three-dimensional structure of simple viruses, from the capsid area
down to the genomic material, is constrained collectively by
symmetry. This approach permits to predict all molecular boundaries in
these viruses, and shows that symmetry plays a larger role in virus
assembly than previously recognised.


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University of Toronto PDE/Applied Math/Analysis Seminar 
http://www.math.toronto.edu/appmath/

2006-2007 organizers:
          Pieter Blue           pblue@ math.toronto.edu
          Almut Burchard        almut@ math.toronto.edu
          Robert McCann		mccann@ math.toronto.edu
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