LIV Lecture 06-26 @CSSB

Dr. Melina Vallbracht (Paul-Ehrlich-Institut)

Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB)

Membraneless cellular organization underpins essential biological processes, yet how viruses exploit these principles to form replication and assembly platforms remains poorly understood. Dr. Melina Vallbracht's research focuses on the structural and functional morphogenesis of membraneless replication compartments formed by non-segmented, negative-strand RNA viruses, including Filo- and Paramyxoviruses. Her group investigates the dynamic formation, maturation, and material properties of these viral condensates and their role in coordinated virus assembly. A particular emphasis is placed on how the physicochemical properties of these replication organelles influence their behavior and function over time. Dr. Vallbracht and her team further examine how these dynamic organelles interact with the host cell environment, with implications for innate immune sensing and regulation. To resolve these processes across time and scales, we integrate in situ cryo-electron tomography, correlative light and electron microscopy, and 3D live-cell imaging, linking dynamic infection processes with their ultrastructural organization in native cells. Ultimately, her group aims to define general organizational principles of viral assembly and cellular remodeling that can inform next-generation antiviral strategies targeting vulnerable transitions in the viral morphogenesis cascade.