Abstract: This talk explores the critical adhesion of Staphylococci bacteria to human hosts, a pivotal step in its pathogenicity. These interactions are facilitated by bacterial adhesins that form  with human proteins the most force-resilient non-covalent bonds known to us, a phenomenon often overlooked by traditional biochemistry methodologies. In the talk, I will present a novel integration of dynamic network analysis with molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate the binding energetics and mechanostability of these adhesin complexes on human skin. This approach not only deepens our understanding of bacterial adhesion but also paves the way for developing targeted anti-adhesive therapies for treating chronic bacteria infections.

Bio: Dr. Rafael Bernardi is an Associate Professor of Physics at Auburn University, specializing in molecular biophysics. His research investigates mechanoactive proteins and their roles in human health, particularly during infections. Dr. Bernardi has authored numerous high-impact publications and has pioneered computational techniques for analyzing protein interactions and biomolecular dynamics. He is a co-developer of NAMD and VMD, fundamental tools for molecular dynamics and visualization. Dr. Bernardi has received a National Thesis Award in Biophysics and Biotechnology from the Brazilian Presidency and the NSF Career Award in Molecular Biophysics.