Prof. Dr. Urs Greber

Area of Research

Description of Research Interest

Viruses carry genetic information between cells and individuals, and cause disease, sometimes with worldwide impact. They emerge unpredictably, and take control of susceptible cells. Viruses are restricted by innate and adaptive immunity against their molecular footprints. By studying viruses, scientists have gained fundamental insights into the inner workings or cells and organisms. This has provided a strong basis for anti-viral therapies, and clinical gene therapy, the latter largely in the context of viral vectors. Elucidating how viruses change the infected cell is key to better treatments against viral disease in normal and immune-compromised individuals. Our group analyzes the molecular mechanisms of virus entry, replication, egress, and more recently molecular evolution. We use advanced microscopy, biochemical and cell biological assays, systems profiling and numerical models in cell cultures, primary cells and micro-tissue. Our deep mechanistic studies lead to a better understanding of how human disease causing viruses - adenovirus, rhinovirus, influenza virus - use protein, lipid, DNA or RNA-based host factors for infection. They give new insights on how viruses adapt to a dynamic host environment and to therapeutic pressure, and how viruses break the defense barriers of the host and cause disease.

Special Expertise

Image-based high content screening of infection phenotypes

Shareable Platforms, Services, Equipment & Infrastructure

ImageXpress Micro Confocal (IXM-C) Molecular Devices

Member of Collaborative/interdisciplinary Research Consortia

SystemsX MRD VirX