Project - Research & Development Manipulation of Host Signature Expression Following Respiratory Virus Infection

This project will improve current understanding of how viruses manipulate host environments. Use cutting edge, iterative proteomics and metabolomics tools in ex vivo primary human lung cultures that recapitulate the epithelium of the conducting airway and novel high throughput sample capture platforms to define mechanisms pathogens use to manipulate and evade host defense response pathways. Computational modeling, bioinformatic analysis and verification studies will identify key host functions that are perturbed post infection. We will identify new host-based targets to block virus replication to overcome limitations of current antivirals that target only viral proteins and frequently fail due to rapid viral evolution.