Physical Virology

Dr. Mauricio Comas-Garcia is a Professor of Biology at the University of San Luis Potosi, Mexico. He holds a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles. His research interests include the how viruses remodel cells, and the physical interactions that control assembly and genome packaging of RNA viruses. Dr. Comas-Garcia has published over 20 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals and co-edited two books. His research activities focus on the assembly, genome packaging, and generation of virus-like-particles of viruses such as Zika, Chikungunya, and SARS-CoV-2.Dr. Sergio Rosales-Mendoza is a Professor of Biotechnology at the University of San Luis Potosi, Mexico. He holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, and his research interests include developing innovative vaccines by applying rational antigen design approaches and using innovative expression hosts and advanced antigen delivery vehicles. Dr. Rosales-Mendoza has published over 150scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals (H index: 32) and edited/written four books. In addition, he has trained several Ph.D. and postdoctoral fellows. Viral diseases had been a main target in Dr. Rosales´ research activity, with an interest in developing attractive vaccine prototypes against HIV, CHIKV, ZIKV, and SARS-CoV-2.

• Viral RNA as a Branched Polymer.- RNA Multiscale Simulations as an Interplay of Electrostatic, Mechanical Properties, and Structures Inside Viruses.- Establishing the Length Limit of RNA Packaged In Vitro by Spherical Virus-Like Particles.- The Multiple Regulatory Roles of Single-stranded RNA Viral Genomes in Virion Formation and Infection.- Creating Artificial Viruses using Self-assembled Proteins and Polypeptides.- Construction of Higher-order VLP-based Materials and Their Effect on Diffusion and Partitioning.- Assembly of Coronaviruses and CoV-like-particles.- Norovirus – A Viral Capsid in Perpetual Flux.- Structural Alterations in Non-enveloped Viruses During Disassembly.- Physical Virology with Atomic Force and Fluorescence Microscopies: Stability, Disassembly and Genome Release .-  Virus Mechanics: A Structure-Based Biological Perspective.- Cryo-electron Microscopy and Cryo-electron Tomography of Viruses.- Bacteriophage Lambda as a Nano Theranostic Platform.- Therapeutic Interfering Particles (tips): Escape-Resistant Antiviral Against SARS-CoV-2.