Molecular and structural determinants of viral entry and immune recognition

Emerging viruses pose ongoing challenges to global health, agriculture, and wildlife conservation. Understanding how viruses interact with host cells and the immune system is critical for anticipating and mitigating future outbreaks. This PhD project will explore the molecular mechanisms that govern viral entry and immune recognition in a group of emerging paramyxoviruses known as henipaviruses.

The project will focus on the structure and function of viral surface glycoproteins, which mediate attachment to host cells and are major targets of the immune response. Using a combination of molecular biology, protein engineering, and structural biology approaches, the student will investigate how viral glycoproteins are organised, how they interact with host factors, and how they are recognised by antibodies.

A key component of the project will involve designing and producing recombinant viral proteins and characterising their structural and biochemical properties. The student may also contribute to the discovery and characterisation of antibodies that recognise these proteins, providing insight into mechanisms of immune recognition. These studies will help reveal fundamental principles of virus–host interactions and inform strategies for engineering viral proteins for research, diagnostic, or preventative applications.

The project will provide training in modern techniques spanning protein expression and purification, structural biology (such as cryogenic electron microscopy or related methods), antibody discovery, and molecular characterisation of protein–protein interactions. You will work in a collaborative research environment at the interface of structural biology, virology, and protein engineering.

While the work will focus on henipaviruses as a model system, the concepts and approaches developed are broadly applicable to the study of emerging viruses and viral glycoproteins more generally.

You will work directly with Dr Ariel Isaacs and under the mentorship of Prof Daniel Watterson to achieve the research objectives. Our research group is highly collaborative and collegial, and leverages state-of-the-art equipment and research infrastructure at The University of Queensland.

You will have access to modern facilities for molecular biology, protein expression and purification, and structural biology, and will benefit from interactions with a diverse community of researchers across virology, structural biology, and immunology.