Speaker
Prof.
Greg Huber
(University of California, San Francisco, USA)
Description
In this talk, we use various tools of statistical physics to understand how some viruses (in particular, influenza A) actively navigate through a dense, extracellular environment. We will show that an asymmetric viral surface-protein distribution not only enhances directed, persistent motion, but enables a type of sensing of their local environment. This rebuts the view that viruses are passive particles that only become active upon entry into the cell — we shall show that they locomote and sense outside of cells, using energy and actively moving up gradients in an optimal way. In addition, the physics approach can identify potential biophysical targets for novel antiviral strategies.
Primary author
Prof.
Greg Huber
(University of California, San Francisco, USA)
