University of Helsinki
An interview by Laura Howes with Prof. Sarah Butcher, contributed to an interesting piece on structural biology research and how it is helping to combat the pandemic. https://cen.acs.org/analytical-chemistry/structural-biology/structural-biologists-revealed-new-coronaviruss/98/i17
EMBO Member’s meeting 2019, EMBL Heidelberg
An achilles heel in the picornavirus capsid
Our new article on a druggable pocket on the surface of coxsackievirus B3, a major contributor in heart disease is now out in Plos Biology, an open access journal. The study has been picked up by several news outlets including interviews for ScienceNews Science News – Achilles heel in the common cold?, New Scientist, Nordic Life Science, Apteekkari
IN THE POCKET A chemical compound (illustrated at center) binds to a pocket on the protein shell (blue, white and magenta) of enterovirus B3, preventing replication. Figure by James Geraets shared This is an open access figure distributed under the terms of a Creative Commons License 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.. Please cite
A novel druggable interprotomer pocket in the capsid of rhino- and enteroviruses. *Rana Abdelnabi , * James A. Geraets , Yipeng Ma , Carmen Mirabelli , Justin W. Flatt, Aušra Domanska, Leen Delang, Dirk Jochmans, Timiri Ajay Kumar, Venkatesan Jayaprakash, Barij Nayan Sinha, Pieter Leyssen, correspondence to *Sarah J. Butcher , *Johan Neyts
- Published: June 11, 2019
- https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000281
Sarah Butcher awarded Alfred Kordelin prize
The Alfred Kordelin Foundation awarded Sarah Butcher the Alfred Kordelin Foundation prize for her contribution to Finnish science on the 6th November 2017. Link to the announcement in Helsingin Sanomat https://www.hs.fi/kulttuuri/art-2000005437566.html.
Link to the Finnish news in the University web pages https://www.helsinki.fi/fi/uutiset/elamantieteet/alfred-kordelinin-palkinto-professori-sarah-butcherille
Sarah Butcher takes up a Professorship in Microbiology from 1st Jan 2016
The Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences have hired Sarah Butcher as Professor of Microbiology, and she continues her affiliation with the Institute of Biotechnology (as head of the Structural Biology and Biophysics Programme). On 22nd January she adjudicated over the PhD viva of Teija Ojala (left) with her opponent, Samuel Myllykangas, Blueprint Genetics (middle). The public examination went successfully, pleasing Teija’s two supervisors, Petri Auvinen and Liisa Holm.
James Geraets demonstrates integration into the Finnish culture
The annual “pikkujoulu” of the Institute of Biotechnology in early December had two important guest stars, Maija Lepistö as Mamma Santa and James Geraets as Santa Claus, with the big responsibility of spreading joy to the world. This traditional Finnish role was bravely adapted by James, showing how well a Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellow can integrate into a new culture! 
Ausra Domanska is invited to speak in Umeå University
Ausra Domanska gave a seminar in Umeå University to present her recent results from her Marie Curie Fellowship to the Clinical Virology community on the 17th September 2015.
Hope for antivirals against parechoviruses
The Butcher, Wolthers and Beaumont labs have recently published an article providing an atomic model of human parechovirus 1. The atomic model was then used to define the epitopes and modes of neutralization for two potential therapeutic antibodies against human parechovirus 1.
Parechoviruses are medically-relevant human pathogens causing mild to severe infections. Currently there are no vaccines or antivirals against them. The Butcher and Wolthers labs as part of the AIROPico consortium in collaboration with the company AIMM Therapeutics, have recently published an article in the Journal of Virology providing an atomic model of human parechovirus 1.
The atomic model was then used to define the epitopes and modes of neutralization for two potential therapeutic antibodies against human parechovirus 1. These human monoclonal antibodies show cross-neutralization against other human parechoviruses as well.
The AM18 antibody recognizes arginine-glycine-aspartic acid motif present on viral capsid protein 1 and neutralizes the virus by competing with the cellular receptor which also recognizes the same motif. The AM28 antibody neutralizes by binding to a conformational epitope and blocking the viral RNA release site.
“This is a first step towards developing therapies against parechoviruses which is one of the long term goals of AIROPico,” says Research Director Sarah Butcher.
The study was supported by the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Union AIPP under contract PIAPP-GA-2013-612308 (AIROPico), the Academy of Finland, the Sigrid Juselius Foundation, the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development, The AMC Research Council, the European Molecular Biology Organization and the European Society of Clinical Virology.
Fab molecules bound to human parechovirus 1.
Picture copyright owned by Pasi Laurinmäki.
Protobios CSO Toomas Neuman visiting the lab as part of the AIROPICO project
Toomas (Tom) Neuman joined the Butcher lab on January 21st for a two month period to teach us about Protobios, entrepreneurship and life in Estonia. Tom has been busy – one of his first tasks was to join a panel discussion with around 60 PhD students in the ILS winter school on “What does it mean to be a PhD student?” He especially commented on the properties that he as an employer is looking for in industry, including enthusiasm and dedication. Afterwards he joined in round table discussions with the students who were developing new courses for the ILS graduate program, and organising other student events. He has also presented the main idealogy and methods used in Protobios to our Tuesday Biophysics club, which led to a lively discussion amongst the 30 or so technicians, MSc & PhD students, postdocs and principle investigators present. Every week he holds a workshop with the group to discuss setting up new businesses, brain-storming potential applications and new products. This week he focussed on a more autobiographical approach, going through his own entrepreneur adventures: “An entrepreneur is one who has at least one bankruptcy behind him” was one of his comments to emphasize that in business, as in life, we have to take risks. To introduce him to the cultural life in Helsinki, we visited one of the best “real ale” bars in Helsinki where Tom realised a big difference between Finns and Estonians: Estonians drink vodka and then beer, yet the custom is the opposite in Finland (or maybe just in the Butcher group??).
One of the possibilities that we want to foster through this exchange is not only knowledge on structural virology, but also possible networking for Tom and Protobios in Finland. To further these aims, we have had talks in Turku with Turku University, ArcDia International and Antibody Barcelona (other partners in the AIROPICO project), which have subsequently led to additional contacts with other biotech companies, and researchers in Helsinki University.
Time is flying by, and it is Tom’s last week next week. Time for a few more discussions, report writing and then back home now that all the snow has gone.
Sir John Walker to give EMBO Keynote lecture in Helsinki, 10th June 2015
The European Molecular Biology Organisation will support a Keynote Lecture by the renowned Nobel Laureate, Sir John Walker during the Paulo Foundation Symposium “From Atomic Structure to Disease Mechanisms” held 10-12th June in Helsinki. Registration is now open for the meeting which is part of the <375> celebrations of Helsinki University.
Sir John’s lecture is entitled “The ATP synthase in mitochondria: involvement in life and death of eukaryotic cells”
Read more about ATP synthase in the Nature Scitable article “Mitochondria”
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