Email

vprasad@bcm.edu

Positions

Professor

Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas United States
Primary Appointment

Alvin Romansky Chair in Biochemistry

Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas United States

Director

Graduate Program in Chemical, Physical & Structural Biology
Baylor College of Medicine

Professor

Molecular Virology and Microbiology
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas United States
Secondary Appointment

Member

Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas United States

Addresses

BCM-Alkek Graduate School (Office)

Room: BCMN-N410
Houston, TX 77030
United States

Education

Postdoctoral Fellowship at University of Arizona

01/1988 - Tucson, Arizona United States

Postdoctoral Training at Indian Institute of Science

01/1984 - Bangalore, Karnataka India

PhD from Indian Institute of Science

01/1981 - Bangalore, Karnataka India

MSc from Indian Institute of Technology

01/1974 - Bombay, Maharashtra India

BSc from Bangalore University

01/1972 - Bangalore, Karnataka India

Honors & Awards

Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology

Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology

American Academy of Microbiology (08/2015)

Ruth McLean Bowman Bowers Excellence in Research Award

Baylor College of Medicine (01/2013)

Ruth McLean Bowman Bowers Excellence in Research Award

Baylor College of Medicine (01/2010)

Alvin Romansky Professor and Chair of Biochemistry

Baylor College of Medicine (07/2008)

Indo-US Professorship for the American Society of Microbiology

American Society of Microbiology (01/2004 - 12/2005)

NIH MERIT award

NIH MERIT award (01/2003)

Indian National Science Academy Medal for Young Scientists

Indian National Science Academy Medal for Young Scientists (01/1983)

NIAID MERIT Award

The MERIT award is given to investigators who have demonstrated superior competence and outstanding productivity in their research

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (09/2013)

Professional Interests

• Protein Structure-Function and Protein Folding
• Virology, biochemistry, immunology and cell biology of viral and microbial pathogen
• Glycobiology of pathogen-host interactions
• Host-pathogen coevolution
• Cellular Antiviral Responses
• Antiviral Drug Discovery/Design, and Vaccine Strategies
• Quantitative and Computational Biosciences
• Viral Pathogens

Professional Statement

Main focus of our research program, largely funded by NIH and Welch foundation, is to understand structure-function relationships in medically important viruses with a clear emphasis on using this knowledge to develop/design effective antiviral drugs. Our structure-function studies are mainly focused on three human pathogens: Rotaviruses, which are major pathogens of infantile gastroenteritis; Noroviruses in Caliciviridae (NIAD priority B biodefense pathogen), which cause epidemic diarrhea in humans; and influenza viruses (NIAD priority C biodefense pathogen), which cause seasonal and pandemic flu.

Our approach is to use a variety of structural techniques including cryo-electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography along with various biochemical and cell biology techniques to elucidate structure-function relationships in these human pathogens. In addition to understanding the structural basis for the capsid-related activities such as how viruses gain entry into host cells, how they interact with receptors, how they evade immune surveillance, and how they disassemble, we also focus on understanding the molecular processes by which these viruses successfully replicate once inside the host cells. The latter processes, which include genome transcription, viral protein synthesis, genome replication and encapsidation, and finally assembly of the new virions, are controlled by exquisite interplay between virus-encoded non-structural proteins some of which have fascinating enzymatic activities. Although these processes vary from one virus to another they are conserved between various strains in each virus family, thus making them suitable targets for designing and developing effective antiviral strategies.

One of the fascinating aspects of virus replication is how these viruses counteract antiviral response mounted by the host cells, for example, interferon response. Each virus appears to specially designate a viral protein to antagonize the host immune response. In rotavirus it is the non-structural protein NSP1 and in influenza virus it is NS1. During this process, these viral proteins target critical cellular pathways by interacting with various cellular proteins. Thus our research on understanding the molecular basis of such a process provides an excellent opportunity to interface with cell biology.

Websites

Selected Publications

• Lawton JA, Estes MK, Prasad BV "Three-dimensional visualization of mRNA release from actively transcribing rotavirus particles.." Nat. Struct. Biol.. 1997 Feb;4(2):118-21. Pubmed PMID: 9033591
• Prasad BV, Rothnagel R, Zeng CQ, Jakana J, Lawton JA, Chiu W, Estes MK "Visualization of ordered genomic RNA and localization of transcriptional complexes in rotavirus.." Nature. 1996 Aug 1;382(6590):471-3. Pubmed PMID: 8684490
• Prasad BV, Hardy ME, Dokland T, Bella J, Rossmann MG, Estes MK "X-ray crystallographic structure of the Norwalk virus capsid.." Science. 1999 Oct 8;286(5438):287-90. Pubmed PMID: 10514371
• Bornholdt ZA, Prasad BV "X-ray structure of NS1 from a highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza virus.." Nature. 2008 Dec 18;456(7224):985-8. Pubmed PMID: 18987632

Memberships

American Crystallographic Association

Member (01/2014)

American Society of Virology

Member (01/2014)

Biophysical Society of America

Member (01/2014)

American Society of Microbiology

Member (01/2014)

American Association for the Advancement of Science

Skills

X-ray Crystallography

Cryo-EM

Computational Biology

Cell culture

Protein Purification

Biophysical Chemistry