On the afternoon of August 3, 2026, the 153rd session of the Biomed‑X Research Seminar of ZJE was successfully held in Room 2A-203, ZJE Building. At the invitation of Dr. You YU, Prof. Dinshaw J. Patel, Member of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States, Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, structural biologist from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, delivered an academic report entitled “Antiphage defense by CARF‑effector and protective deity systems”.
Professor Patel shared cutting‑edge insights into prokaryotic antiviral immunity evolved from the long‑term evolutionary arms race between bacteria and bacteriophages. Bacteria deploy sophisticated defence pathways including abortive infection via dynamic pan‑genome sensor‑effector complexes to fend off phage invasion. In the first half of his talk, he illustrated how cyclic oligoadenylates (cOAs) generated by Type‑III CRISPR systems activate CARF‑effector domains, with protein oligomerization and filament formation being critical for antiphage protection. The second half presented newly‑identified antiviral systems such as Pucsar, Lamassu and PUA‑Cal‑HAD, revealing their distinct molecular mechanisms to trigger immune responses and block phage replication.
Following the presentation, faculty and students engaged in lively Q&A. Professor Patel answered questions in depth, bringing valuable academic inspiration to all attendees.
This is the 153rd session of the Biomed-X Seminar series. ZJE will continue to build this academic brand and provide a high-level academic exchange platform for teachers and students.
