Investigating the molecular basis of virus-host interactions.

Our group studies the molecular mechanisms of viral replication, antiviral immunity, and virus-host interactions involving pathogenic DNA and RNA viruses. We apply structural biology techniques, such as cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), and functional approaches to understand complex processes by which viruses manipulate and hijack host cells, as well as how the host immune system responds to infection. Our goal is to gain atomic-level molecular insights into viral infection and host defense systems that will ultimately inform the development of cures and therapeutic strategies for human diseases caused by viral infections.

Cover image (from left to right): Cryo-EM density map of Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) glycoprotein B; atomic model of HIV-1 Vif-RNA-APOBEC3G-CBF-beta complex; and raw cryo-EM micrograph and 2D class averages of SARS-CoV-2 Nsp15.