HCMV is a β-herpesvirus that infects over 60% of the adult population. HCMV becomes latent after a primary infection, and can periodically re-activate for reasons still unknown. HCMV is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in immuno-compromised individuals such as organ transplant recipients. However, the largest burden of disease occurs from intrauterine HCMV transmission during pregnancy. This occurs in at least 1% of pregnancies worldwide, and can cause permanent hearing loss, vision impairment, and mental retardation. There is no vaccine currently available, and discovery of new antivirals is urgently required. Importantly, the process by which infectious virus is packaged and released is not well understood, and this presents a novel molecular loci to develop potential antiviral therapeutics.
We use a hybrid multidisciplinary approach integrating virology, molecular biology, microscopy, proteomics, and bioinformatics to study viral pathognesis. Research in the lab is dedicated towards defining:
Critical host-viral protein interactions
Viral proteins mediating host organelle remodelling
Hijacking of host molecular pathways involved in virion egress
