Viruses hijack cells by building dynamic structures called viral factories, or specialised protein-RNA droplets (condensates) formed through liquid-liquid phase separation, in order to replicate and evade immune detection. Disrupting these viral condensates could unlock a powerful new strategy for broad-spectrum antiviral therapies, yet the molecular rules guiding their formation remain poorly understood. This PhD project will pioneer a multidisciplinary approach combining biochemistry, RNA biology, machine learning, viral reverse genetics approaches and and cutting-edge microscopy to unravel how RNA viruses, such as rotaviruses, assemble their replication factories. The student will characterise the physicochemical properties and selective RNA-protein interactions driving viral condensate formation, define their molecular composition using mass spectrometry and super-resolution microscopy, and explore how specific mutations or small molecules modulate these processes. The ultimate aim is to identify new therapeutic targets within viral biomolecular condensates and lay the groundwork for a next generation of antiviral drug discovery.
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Borodavka lab
Understanding how virures exploit complex molecular interactions to efficiently replicate and package their genomes.
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