Department Seminar Series - Dr. Mona Minkara

Northeastern University, College of Engineering

Assistant Professor, Bioengineering 

Affiliated Faculty, Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Pulmonary surfactant (PS) is a complex lipid-protein system that lines the alveoli in the lung, and is a vital substance for the modulation of surface tension at the alveoli air-water interface and immune defense against airborne pathogens. While the molecular composition of pulmonary surfactant is relatively well established, little is known about the mechanisms and dynamics of PS function.   

 

In this talk, I will present several vignettes about my group's efforts to investigate the physiological behavior of pulmonary surfactant moieties, as well as our recent work on the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Topics will include lipid monolayers, proteins, and drug development, as well a discussion of our computational methods, including monte carlo and molecular dynamics simulations, homology structure modeling, and molecular docking calculations. 

 

Using computational methods, such as Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations, to obtain a fundamental understanding of molecular interactions that occur at biological interfaces, such as the pulmonary surfactant system