Bio LabMolecular choreography of fusion proteins
We trace the refolding pathways of viral fusion proteins and pinpoint intermediate states that determine tropism and entry efficiency.
Research
Viral fusion and kinetics at structural resolution
We dissect how enveloped viruses engage host membranes, refold their fusion machinery, and assemble new particles. Cryo-EM, tomography, and kinetic assays let us link structural snapshots to functional outcomes.
Lab interests
Host-factor engagement
Integrative EM and crosslinking strategies reveal how viral machines recruit chaperones, co-factors, and immune modulators during infection.
Time-resolved structure
Mix-and-plunge workflows capture millisecond transitions so we can translate structural kinetics into mechanistic models.
Selected projects
Tracking fusion in real time
Cryo-ET combined with subtomogram averaging lets us visualize Virus X as it docks, primes, and fuses with host membranes, revealing a newly exposed pocket susceptible to inhibitory peptides.
Allosteric inhibitors of polymerase assembly
Single-particle cryo-EM and fragment screening identify allosteric chemotypes that stall Virus Y polymerase formation and block genome replication in primary cells.