Science of COVID-19: Evolutionary Potential of the SARS-CoV-2 Receptor Binding Domain (RBD)

This week's speaker is Jesse Bloom, an HHMI Investigator and associate professor in the Basic Sciences Division and associate professor in the Public Health Sciences Division at Fred Hutch.

Dr. Bloom studies evolution using viruses and viral proteins as models. Focusing on the influenza virus, he aims to understand how mutations in viral genes shape the pathogen’s ability to infect and spread. He uses computational biology and real-world data to build evolutionary models and examine different scales of viral evolution, from evolution within a single host to evolution on a global scale. In doing so, Bloom addresses both fundamental and translational questions, including those with relevance to developing more effective seasonal flu vaccines. Dr. Bloom holds a BS in biochemistry from the University of Chicago, an MPhil in theoretical chemistry from Cambridge, as well as a PhD in chemistry from Caltech, where he also did his postdoc.

Organized by Janelia's Sarada Viswanathan and Loren Looger, the Science of COVID-19 seminar series brings in outside experts, covers papers and preprints, and highlights local efforts in testing, production, and analysis.

LEARN MORE: janelia.org/scienceofcovid19