"How to predict the next pandemic pathogen"
This talk is for PSI staff and students. Members of the University who are not at the PSI are welcome to join, but please contact us beforehand to let us know (events.psi@ndm.ox.ac.uk).
Join us on Tuesday 19 November, 12:30 – 13:30, at the Big Data Institute (BDI), for the upcoming seminar in the PSI seminar series. Dr. Bailey will present his research on predicting the next pandemic pathogen, focusing on how emerging enveloped RNA viruses can adapt to new hosts.
The seminar will take place from 12:30 to 13:30 in the BDI building, seminar rooms, followed by lunch and networking from 13:30 to 14:30.
Abstract
Zoonotic viruses, like SARS-CoV-2, are a significant cause of pandemics due to their ability, especially in error-prone RNA viruses, to rapidly adapt to new hosts. Factors driving zoonotic spillover are diverse, from macro-scale influences such as human population growth and land use changes to molecular-level mechanisms like viral entry, replication, and immune evasion. Understanding these molecular drivers is critical to improving global preparedness, developing vaccines, and advancing therapeutic strategies. My group examines viral entry mechanisms in emerging enveloped RNA viruses to better classify pandemic potential. The 2024 WHO Pathogen Prioritization project highlighted the importance of a family-based approach to assessing pandemic risk, calling for broader research on RNA virus families beyond the well-known human pathogens. A significant gap exists in understanding emerging virus families, with humans themselves potentially serving as unrecognized reservoirs in anthropogenic spillover events. Moreover, computational prediction of pandemic potential based on viral sequences alone requires more comprehensive datasets. Our group investigates receptor usage conservation across viral families, analyzing whether phylogenetic distance and receptor affinity correlate with host range. Establishing links between viral genotypes and host-range phenotypes will improve pandemic prediction models. By generating rich, comprehensive datasets and integrating them into predictive frameworks, we aim to equip the global community with the tools needed to anticipate and respond to future pandemics more effectively.
Biography
Dr. Dalan Bailey is a Group Leader working on the molecular biology of RNA viruses including human and bovine respiratory syncytial virus, as well as the morbilliviruses, coronaviruses, arenaviruses and henipaviruses.
Dalan’s lab has two major focuses: The first is virus-host interactions that take place during virus entry and exit, and how they govern host-range, e.g. receptor interactions and antibody neutralisation. The second major focus is the molecular virology of viral inclusion bodies, phase separated organelles that form in the cytoplasm of mononegavirales-infected cells. Since 2005 he has published over 70 manuscripts in this area including publications in Nature Microbiology, PLOS Biology, PLOS Pathogens, JBC and the Journal of Virology.
Dalan has presented his research data, as a speaker, at numerous national and international conferences including the: Microbiology Society’s Annual Conference, Negative Strand Virus Meeting, American Society for Virology, and International Union of Microbiological Societies. He is also committed to developing strong links with stakeholders outside of academia and has spent time working at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of The United Nations (FAO) in Rome.
Dalan is actively involved in research, lecturing and the supervision of junior researchers and in the last 10 years as PI has supervised over 30 undergraduate and postgraduate students in his lab. His lab currently has around 10 people funded by the BBSRC and Wellcome Trust.
Date:
19 November 2024, 12:00 (Tuesday, 6th week, Michaelmas 2024)
Venue:
Big Data Institute, Old Road Campus OX3 7LF
Venue Details:
Seminar Rooms 0&1, Big Data Institute, Old Road Campus OX3 7LF
Speaker:
Dr Dalan Bailey (Pirbright Institute)
Organisers:
Jana Lipcakova (University of Oxford),
James Hay (Wellcome Trust Early Career Fellow),
Ksenia Ananyeva (University of Oxford)
Organiser contact email address:
events.psi@ndm.ox.ac.uk
Part of:
Pandemic Sciences Institute seminar series
Booking required?:
Required
Booking url:
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=G96VzPWXk0-0uv5ouFLPkfqJsIz1OHtImXkbS9R4tRRUMllLVjFCODNORVpUR0I2TlYwSjRMQTU2Sy4u
Cost:
Free
Audience:
Members of the University only
Editor:
Ksenia Ananyeva
