We would like to welcome Professor Jonathan Grimes, Principal Investigator at the Division of Structural Biology (STRUBI), University of Oxford, who will share insights into the replication and assembly of the influenza virus RNA polymerase.

The seminar will take place on Tuesday 15 July, from 12:30 to 13:30 in the Big Data Institute building, seminar rooms, followed by lunch and networking from 13:30 to 14:30.

Please register to attend by completing the form below by Friday 11 July.

Abstract
Influenza remains a significant global health threat, driven by its ability to mutate and evade immunity. Professor Grimes uses structural imaging techniques to dissect how the virus replicates its RNA genome in the nucleus of infected cells and how newly synthesized viral ribonucleoproteins (vRNPs) are transported to the plasma membrane for assembly into new virus particles.
The seminar highlights how genome replication crucially depends on the host protein ANP32 and the oligomerization of viral polymerase complexes to form replication platforms. Professor Grimes will also share new insights into vRNP trafficking, revealing previously uncharacterised interactions between viral proteins that appear to mediate membrane association, opening promising avenues for antiviral drug development.

About the speaker
Professor Grimes studied Biochemistry at the University of Bristol and completed his DPhil at the University of Oxford, focusing on the structure of the Bluetongue virus. He later conducted postdoctoral research at EMBL Grenoble and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), where he worked on influenza virus structural biology and synchrotron beamline development. In 2021, he returned to Oxford to help establish STRUBI. His research continues to focus on the structural and mechanistic principles of RNA virus replication and assembly.