Cell biology of viral infections
Virus entry and egress
Ph.D., University of Zurich
Postdoc., The University of Tokyo
Virus infection is a dynamic process and highly dependent on the host cells. Our laboratory endeavor to understand how viruses exploit cellular machineries to achieve their infection and replication. We are especially interested in influenza virus, which continuously evolve and bring new epidemics and pandemics to the world.
Our research focuses on the late stages of influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2 life cycles, including virion assembly, egress and transmission between cells. These critical steps ensure the formation of infective progeny virions, and release them from the host to establish new infections. We aim to elucidate the virus-host interaction in these infection steps, its kinetics, and the underlying regulatory mechanisms. A special folcus has been put on the roles of intracellular vesicles and cytoskeletons in the scenarios. To resolve the dynamic and complex infection processes, we employ an interdisciplinary approach leveraging tools from molecular virology, cell biology, advanced light/EM microscopy, and computational analyses. We hope that our research will yield new insights into the cell biology of virus infection, and thereby provide a basis for the development of future therapeutics against influenza and COVID.
2016 JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science)
2015 Early Postdoc.Mobility Fellowship (Swiss National Science Foundation)
2013 Young scientists travel award (European Society of Virology)