Methods

The junior research group can profit from an excellent scientific infrastructure at its disposal, including BSL-2 and BSL-3** laboratories as well as a number of state-of-the-art institute technology platforms, including next generation sequencing (NGS), flow cytometry/FACS and microscopy facilities. We aim to foster a highly collaborative research environment with local, national and international partners and are always keen to expand our portfolio of methodological expertise.

Molecular biology, cell biology and virology

We use a wide range of methods to explore retroviral infections and their impact on host genome biology. To do so, we generate viral-derived reporter systems, which we transfer to different cellular models using genome engineering as well as transduction or infection. To explore impacts of cellular physiology on retroviral biology and vice versa, we employ different methods to alter gene expression, including targeted transcriptional modulation. Readout techniques include RT-qPCR, flow cytometry and cyto-/histochemistry.­

Transcriptome and epigenome studies

Our work aims at gaining a comprehensive understanding of genome-wide effects in the context of retroviral infections. We therefore use NGS technologies for different applications, such as integration-site mapping, transcriptome and epigenome analyses. We are developing bioinformatic pipelines to process our data and integrate with multimodal datasets.

Primary cells and biobanks

We are keen to undertake research with a strong focus on translatability. We therefore include primary cells and tissues in our analyses and collaborate with different biobanks for access to patient-derived sample