Strucshare meeting: Presentation by Alberto Perez and Professor Mihnea Bostin

Title: "From AlphaFold to Protein Design: Modern AI for Structural Biology" from Dr. Alberto Perez from University of Florida

Abstract: Recent advances in artificial intelligence have fundamentally transformed structural biology. Methods such as AlphaFold have demonstrated that protein structures can be predicted with remarkable accuracy directly from sequence, reshaping how researchers approach biological discovery. At the same time, AI has evolved beyond structure prediction, enabling the design of novel proteins and providing powerful new tools for studying molecular interactions.

I will trace back from the part of AlphaFold in CASP as the group “A7F”, to the recent success in structure prediction and design. Throughout the seminar, I will provide examples from our recent research in ways to create pipelines using this AI tools beyond their original scope, with links to github when available for others to test and use.

Title: "The Flexible Armour: Structural Versatility of Decoration Proteins and HK97 Fold Insertions in Bacteriophage Capsids" from Prof. Mihnea Bostina from University of Otago  

Abstract: Tailed bacteriophages decorate their capsids with accessory proteins that bind at defined symmetry axes, adopting diverse folds and oligomeric states to reinforce stability and mediate host interactions. Using on structures from our laboratory and others, this seminar will reveal how insertions within the HK97 major capsid protein fold add architectural complexity through contacts with neighbouring capsomers and decoration proteins. Together, these findings reframe the phage capsid as a structurally flexible and functionally versatile armour, shaped by evolution to protect the viral genome while enabling efficient host infection.