Molecular Tricks of Enteric Viruses with Neurotropic Ambitions

Our group focuses on the replication and pathogenicity of intestinal RNA viruses using enteroviruses and astroviruses as model systems. Both virus groups include zoonotic pathogens, and both include members that can escape the gut to infect the central nervous system. We are developing a range of molecular tools to address fundamental issues in enterovirus and astrovirus biology: – Regulation of translation, replication and virus release – Features of virus replication in the gut- and brain-specific environment – Conserved RNA elements, their functions and therapeutic potential – Determinants of neurovirulence.