Hello! Welcome to my BCM 441 website. This website will collect work from my Advanced Biochemistry course, including my Capstone Project on Influenza A, subtype H1N1. You can explore this content and see work from my classmates using the tabs in the header, or by clicking on one of the links below:
Not an expert? Start by reading my post on Influenza!
β-lactams are a prominent class of antibiotics including Penicillin which inhibit peptidoglycan cell wall synthesis in bacteria, leading to cell death. Paradoxically, macrophage lysozyme supports emergence of a β-lactam resistant L-form morphology which can survive and proliferate without a cell wall.
Influenza, or the flu, is a common and highly contagious viral infection. While severity of infection varies year-to-year, the CDC estimates that there are between 9 million and 45 million cases of influenza in the United States alone each year. This post discusses the basic biochemistry of the influenza virus.
β-lactams are a prominent class of antibiotics including Penicillin which inhibit peptidoglycan cell wall synthesis in bacteria, leading to cell death. Paradoxically, macrophage lysozyme supports emergence of a β-lactam resistant L-form morphology which can survive and proliferate without a cell wall.
Reflection Blog #3 Influenza, though only first making a prominent appearance in the scientific literature around the early nineteenth century, has plagued humanity since at least the 1500s. 5 Given this, its scientific study extends far back, easily preceding identification of the first virus, and resulting in a somewhat overwhelming abundance of literature. I have …
CAPSTONE PROJECT LANDING PAGE
Influenza, though only first making a prominent appearance in the scientific literature in the early nineteenth century, has plagued humanity since at least the 1500s. Given this, its scientific study extends far back, easily preceding identification of the first virus, and resulting in a somewhat overwhelming abundance of literature. I have chosen to focus on H1N1 for this project, though it is common that scientific understanding of the H1N1 subtype is informed by studies in other influenza strains or virology at large.
Presented below are four core themes, and two less prominent, supplementary themes*, which describe the nature of biochemical research in H1N1 and influenza available. Click on a link below to get started!
I am a junior Biochemistry major at Muhlenberg College from Santa Cruz, California. I am on the pre-med track, but I have strong research interests as well. At Muhlenberg, I participate in biochemistry research with Dr. Colabroy where we study an enzyme involved in the Lincomycin biosynthesis pathway, in hopes of elucidating valuable mechanistic and kinetic insight with possible applications for novel syntheses.
