National Doctoral Programme in
Informational and Structural Biology

The general goal of our studies is to understand the mechanisms of virus cell recognition and interactions. Our model organisms are parvoviruses and baculoviruses.

Viral entry is a tightly regulated multistep process that involves binding to cell surface, cytoplasmic transport and nuclear import. Many viruses use the nucleus as their site of replication. Some of these viruses are able to infect even nondividing cells. This property depends on the active nuclear import of the viral genome. Parvoviruses and baculoviruses are among very few viruses having nucleocapsids small enough to pass through the nuclear pores without apparent deformation. The mechanism and strategies used by these viruses during the cytoplasmic trafficking and import into the nucleus are largely unknown. In our studies, we focus on interactions between the cellular and viral components during receptor binding, nuclear import and intranuclear events. Because parvoviruses and baculoviruses are being considered for use in gene therapy applications, the mechanism of entry of these viruses is of special interest in future years.

Evolution of new variations of techniques such as live cell imaging and the atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) makes it possible to approach virus-cell interactions and viral particles from a new angle. Understanding of biological systems is increasingly dependent on ability to visualize and quantify events in living cells. Moreover, with AFM the mechanical properties of viral particles can now be assessed by physical means. In addition, chemical forces between viral particles and cellular nano-structures interacting with them can be measured directly and even at level of single particle.