Specialization
Molecular biology of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
Focus of research
HIV replication and anti-viral strategies
This research line includes both basic and applied HIV research, which are intermingled and complement each other.
Basic research focuses on:
1. The structure and function of the HIV genome. In particular, we investigate the structure of the viral RNA and its role in different replication steps (such as transcription, RNA splicing, dimerization and packaging) and drug resistance.
2. The role of the viral Tat protein in HIV replication.
Applied research focuses on:
1. Novel strategies to inhibit HIV replication (based on the CRISPR/Cas9 system and RNA interference mechanism).
2. Development of conditionally replicating HIV variants as a novel approach toward a safe live-attenuated HIV vaccine and as a tool to study the host (immune) responses that correlate with protection induced by live-attenuated virus vaccines.
3. The use of viral evolution as a tool to develop new gene expression systems (Tet-On systems).