Project: Stopping protein translation the norovirus way
Mackenzie Group
The goal of arguably all viruses is to infect and invade cells and to commandeer and modulate the host intracellular environment to facilitate virus replication and survival. To achieve this many viruses control the host translational machinery to ensure a bias towards viral protein production over host, and in doing so also limit the production of antiviral immune genes. Over previous and current research on mouse norovirus (MNV) has revealed that MNV encodes a protein that has the capacity to completely disable host translation. We have mapped the region of the protein that has this functionality and are now mutating specific residues to understand how this protein functions in translation.
To expand our research, we would also like to investigate if the analogous protein encoded by human noroviruses does the same. Therefore, within this project you as a student will use molecular and cellular biology, proteins expression and analysis, combined with tissue culture and virus infections to elucidate the molecular machinery encoded by noroviruses that make it one of the most effective viral infections on the planet.
Contact project supervisor for further
information and application enquiries
Mackenzie Group
1 vacancies

The Mackenzie group investigates how viruses interact with the cells they infect. In particular the molecular and cellular processes that are manipulated by flaviviruses (dengue, Zika and West Nile viruses) and noroviruses for their own gain. We aim to understand how the intracellular events of virus replication result in innate immune evasion and ultimately how the consequences of infection result in a diseased state. Answering these questions will guide and inform us of areas for antiviral therapeutic development.
Mackenzie Group Current Projects
-
Preventing infections of the highly puke-ogenic virus - norovirus
PhD/MPhil, Master of Biomedical Science, Honours
-
Stopping protein translation the norovirus way
PhD/MPhil, Master of Biomedical Science, Honours