RECRUITING GROUPS
The following groups and group leaders at LIV and CSSB are recruiting in 2023:
The lab of Marcus Altfeld studies the mechanisms by which the immune system recognizes and controls viral infections. Advanced methods of immunology, host genetics and virology, including organoid systems, are being used to investigate the receptor/ligand interactions that enable immune cells, and in particular NK cells, to identify and kill virus-infected cells, and how viruses evade immune recognition.
The lab of Wolfram Brune studies the interaction of herpesviruses with their host cells. Advanced methods of viral genetics are being used to investigate the formation of viral replication compartments, the molecular mechanisms of viral immune evasion, and the role of viral-induced cell fusion in pathogenesis.
Research in the lab of Kay Grünewald pursues an integrative structural biology approach to understand the mechanistic basis of viral infection processes at the nanoscale. To this end we combine the results of a broad spectrum of innovative imaging techniques, in particular electron cryo tomography (cryoET) and complementary methods, together unveiling the spatio-temporal dynamics of molecular interactions directly inside cells.
How do DNA viruses establish lifelong infections, and why do some of them cause cancer? Using state-of-the-art omics, live-cell imaging and genome manipulation techniques, the lab of Adam Grundhoff tracks tumorigenic herpesviruses in the nucleus of persistently infected cells and studies the interplay between the virus and its host on the level of chromatin and epigenetic regulation.
The research in the lab of Ulrike Lange focuses on deciphering how exogenous and endogenous retroviruses shape the function of our genome. In particular, we aim to decipher how endogenous retroviruses contribute to the course of acute and chronic viral infections and how HIV-1 target cells can control integrated proviruses. To answer these questions, a range of molecular biology techniques, primary cell models, NGS-based genomic and bioinformatic analyses is used.
What happens when a tropical virus infects a cell? The lab of Pietro Scaturro employs cutting-edge systems biology approaches (NGS, proteomics, RNAi) and high-resolution imaging (CLEM, TEM) to study host-pathogen interactions at different levels of complexity. These studies are performed on insects and mammalian hosts to identify new therapeutic targets.
The lab of Maya Topf is working the field of macromolecular assembly structure characterization through the development of innovative methods that combine experimental data, bioinformatics, and machine learning. The lab is especially focused on analyzing data from Cryo Electron Microscopy and Mass Spectrometry to uncover the intricate structures and functions of viral assemblies, including those from herpesviruses and arenaviruses.
