Biochemistry (UMBC)
Area or Doctoral Study: Biochemistry
Undergraduate Institute: Morgan State University
Graduate Institute: University of the District of Columbia
Research Advisor: Michael F. Summers
Description of Research
The endemic of AIDS is responsible for the death of millions of people worldwide since its global outbreak in the 1980s. The virus responsible for this disease, HIV, is infected within populations throughout the world today, including 1.2 million in the United States, according to the CDC. Despite the tremendous amount of research and in-turn progress made in combating the spread of this virus, many fundamental aspects of it remain a mystery, with new infections remaining significant annually. My research focuses on the structural resolution of a highly conserved region of the dimer isoform TAR-PolyA-U5:AUG three-hairpin junction (TPU junction) with its native 7-methylguanosine at the 5-prime cap (5’ cap) within the 5-prime Leader (5’ L) of the HIV genome. With an RNA analog that mimics this highly conserved structure within the HIV genome, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) will be the primary tool used to render this macromolecular structure. This structural information has the potential lead to further breakthroughs in the combat of the spread of this virus.