BMC Seminar Thursday 17th of January at 12:00 in room 343 Læknagarður
Speaker: Dr. Kondwani G.H. Katundu, College of Medicine, University of Malawi and School of Medicine, University of St Andrews Scotland
Title: Influence of plasma free fatty acids on albumin - cobalt binding capacity, zinc dynamics and blood clotting
Abstract: Albumin binds most metal ions and is also the main carrier of free fatty acids in plasma. Increased concentrations of free fatty acids in plasma and their binding to FA2 may elicit conformational changes to some metal binding sites particularly sites A and B. The binding affinity of albumin to cobalt and zinc can be compromised and this can influence clinical diagnostic tests such as the Albumin cobalt - binding (ACB) assay in pathological conditions ; and can also potentiate platelet aggregation and hence thrombo-embolic events
Short bio: Dr Kondwani Katundu is a Lecturer in Physiology under the Biomedical Sciences Department at the College of Medicine, University of Malawi. He is a qualified Medical Doctor (MBBS), Holds an MSC Med. in Nutrition and is a PhD candidate in Medicine with the University of St Andrews and the University of Malawi. He has research interest in the role of Nutrition in Health and disease.