Research Interests
Every year, infectious diseases caused by emerging human pathogenic viruses such as influenza, dengue, HIV, hepatitis, Ebola etc. kill millions of people worldwide. The current strategy to treat most of the viral diseases is based on targeting the infectious agents. However, relentless emergence of drug-resistant viral strains and the lack of ideal vaccines stand as major impediments to effectively combat the diseases. A promising approach to circumvent the drug resistance-related challenges is to target the host cell proteins that the viruses manipulate with their molecular ‘hack codes’ to gain access to the cell interior and to commandeer various cellular machineries and organelles for their multiplication and spread.
In our laboratory, we aim to advance our understanding of the infection mechanisms of medically-important viruses such as influenza A virus, SARS-CoV-2, and dengue. Employing variety of techniques including cell and molecular biology, high-content, confocal and super-resolution imaging, RNAi, biochemistry, CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing etc., we investigate the molecular underpinnings of viral infection processes in the host cells. Parallelly, in collaboration with academia and industry, we conduct high-content screening of small molecule inhibitors targeting cellular proteins to identify potential antiviral drugs. Identifying and characterizing host gene products that offer critical assistance to the viruses at different stages of their life cycles, we hope to shed new light on the cellular and molecular processes supporting virus infections, and ultimately use the knowledge to develop novel therapeutic strategies.
Stages of influenza A virus infection in lung epithelial cells
High-content, confocal imaging system
Influenza A virus-infected mouse embryonic fibroblast cells