The Univeristy of Melbourne The Royal Melbourne Hopspital

A joint venture between The University of Melbourne and The Royal Melbourne Hospital

EDUCATION

Research Projects

Project: Investigating host factors that control the replication of respiratory viruses

Reading Group

We have expertise in generating cell lines that overexpress proteins that have been widely implicated in (i) viral entry into host cells and (ii) restriction of viral replication in host cells. We will use these techniques to determine if particular host proteins interfere with respiratory virus infection of mammalian cells. We work with a range of different human respiratory viruses, including influenza, respiratory syncytial virus and human metapneumovirus, amongst others. This project aims to identify host proteins with the potential to restrict infection by one or more different respiratory viruses.

Contact project supervisor for further
information and application enquiries

Project Supervisor

Professor Patrick Reading

Project Co-supervisor

Dr Sarah Londrigan

Project availability
PhD/MPhil
Master of Biomedical Science

Reading Group

preading@unimelb.edu.au

2 vacancies

Themes
Viral Infectious Diseases
Bacterial and Parasitic Infections
Cross Cutting Disciplines

The Reading Group have expertise in understanding viral attachment factors, cellular receptors and entry pathways, virus-induced activation of host genes and the mechanisms by which intracellular host proteins can block virus replication.

Our current research is focussed on

(i) understanding the entry pathways and viral life cycle of respiratory viruses in host epithelial cells and immune cells

(ii) investigating host factors (viral restriction factors such as interferon stimulated genes) that control the replication of respiratory viruses in epithelial cells vs immune cells.