Biophysics for Global Health and Sustainability
Channel: IYBSSD
Date: 12/07/2023

This panel is presented by Cristina Sizun, from CNRS, France, and member of the executive board of the International Union of Pure and Applied Biophysics.
It shows the extent of biophysics contribution to sustainability through the contributions by four internationally recognized biophysicists. 

Using structural biology and biophysics to design rational malaria vaccines 

by Prof. Matthew Higgins, Professor of Molecular Parasitology and the EP Abraham Chair of Structural Biology at the University of Oxford, UK. 
His research team deciphers the molecular bases for critical host-parasite interactions in malaria and sleeping sickness. These insights are then used to guide the design of vaccines and therapeutic antibodies. 

From fundamental enzyme catalysis towards sustainable agriculture 

by Prof. Pimchai Chaiyen, Professor and Dean of School of Biomolecular Science and Engineering at the Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology, in Rayong, Thailand. Her research team has widely contributed to unravel the mechanisms of different enzymes and to develop applications in biocatalysis and synthetic biology. 

Biophysics for better respiratory medicine 

by Prof. Jesus Perez-Gil, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Dean of Biology at Complutense University of Madrid, Spain. His research is focused on pulmonary surfactant biology and lung homeostasis, ranging from the investigation at the molecular level of fundamental aspects of pulmonary surfactants to the development of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic tools. 

Getting prepared for the next big pandemic – is it possible? 

by Prof. Miguel Castanho, Professor and Director of the Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Portugal. The aim of his work is to unravel the physical principles that determine peptide/protein-lipid interactions, with implications in viral fusion (eg HIV, Dengue, Zika, Measles), and developing new drugs based on these insights. 

See also https://iupab.org/ 

00:00 Intro 
10:59 Using structural biology and biophysics to design rational malaria vaccines 
33:34 From fundamental enzyme catalysis towards sustainable agriculture 50:14 Biophysics for better respiratory medicine 
1:11:03 Getting prepared for the next big pandemic – is it possible?