Host-Virus Interactions

Viral infection induces diverse immune responses in the host that work coordinately to eliminate the virus and clear the infection. To establish infection, viruses have evolved numerous immune evasion mechanisms that allow them to replicate and spread in the host despite the antiviral immune responses. Understanding the basis of the dynamic interaction between the immune system and viruses is therefore essential for developing novel therapeutic approaches for viral infection. In our lab we aim to shed light on the complex interaction between viruses and the immune system. We use advanced single-genome sequencing techniques and other virological and immunological methods to monitor immune responses to viral infection and to identify the mechanisms used by viruses to escape these antiviral responses.