Group leader : Marc Jamin
Our group works on the replication of different viruses : non-segmented negative-stranded RNA (measles virus, rabies virus, Nipahvirus), segmented RNA viruses (influenza virus) and DNA viruses (vaccinia virus, a poxvirus very close to the monkey pox virus). The objective is to understand the fundamental principles of the replication process of the genome but also to interfere with the replication machinery in order to develop new antiviral strategies.
Our research activities are the
- study of large molecular assemblies (vaccinia virus replication complex - nucleocapsids and RNA polymerase complex of negative RNA viruses : measles, Nipah, rabies, bornavirus, flu)
- characterization of protein-protein complexes (structure of small domains by crystallography and NMR) and the use of directed evolution methods for the selection of peptides inhibiting viral replication
- study of host-virus interactions involved in the escape from host immune system and the hijacking of the cellular machinery to the advantage of the virus in order to better understand the mechanisms of viral pathogenesis, evolution and adaptation
- Methods : biochemistry, biophysics, cryo-electron microscopy, X-ray crystallography, small angle scattering, combinatorial methods (directed evolution, phage display)
Our group is composed of four teams with complementary themes and expertise : Jamin team (replication of non-segmented RNA viruses), Crépin/Ruigrok team (replication of segmented RNA viruses), Hart team (directed evolution of peptides) and Burmeister team (DNA replication of Poxviruses).