SRPSKA AKADEMIJA NAUKA I UMETNOSTI ORGANIZUJE PREDAVANJE Dr. Sina Bavari

1. SRPSKA AKADEMIJA NAUKA I UMETNOSTI ORGANIZUJE PREDAVANJE Dr. Sina Bavari Target Discovery and Experimental Microbiology United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, Maryland, USA Ponedeljak, 14. oktobar 2013. Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti Knez Mihailova 35 Sala 2, I sprat, 13.00 h Countering Highly Deadly Pathogens: Winners and Losers Diverse pathogens are presumed to elicit divergent molecular and cellular responses in mammalian hosts. Our laboratory is interested to understand: do the responses to evolutionary distinct pathogenic microbes share a convergent host pathway that could serve as a common therapeutic target? To initiate studies towards addressing this question, we are using a "systems therapeutic" approach- systems biology tools focused on finding therapeutic targets. We use a combination of small molecule chemistry, gene knock down, ultra-resolution imaging, and high-content imaging approaches to identify shared signaling molecules. We use focused chemical genetics to identify signaling molecules as critical node for pathogenesis of one microbial agent and apply these findings to a diverse pathogen. Further, inhibitory RNA (sh/siRNA) libraries are being used to validate our chemical biology targets. We also use large scale knock-down studies to identify host kinases, phosphatases and related signaling molecules/pathways involved in pathogenesis of deadly microbial agents that can be targeted for therapeutic development. The results of our endeavors will be presented.