We study molecular biology and host cell-virus interactions of two different RNA viruses: coronavirus and hepatitis C virus (HCV).
Coronavirus causes various diseases in humans and animals. We use mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) as a model system to study the mechanisms of coronavirus RNA replication/transcription and virus assembly. We also study various aspects of host cell-MHV interactions, through which we aim to understand the mechanisms of MHV-induced apoptosis, host protein synthesis inhibition, role of activation of stress-activated kinases in MHV replication, and regulation of host gene responses to MHV infection.
We use a HCV infectious clone and its replicon to understand the mechanisms of HCV replication. Currently one of our studies focuses on how the virus nonstructural proteins function in HCV RNA replication. We are also working to establish a system that produces infectious HCV particles in cell culture.
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