Defining The Molecular Mechanisms Of Lyssavirus Replication And Immune Evasion: The P Protein Axis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$900,995.00
Summary
Lyssaviruses such as rabies virus (RABV) and Australian bat lyssavirus cause rabies disease, which has the highest case-fatality rate of known infectious diseases, causing >60,000 human deaths/year. Critical to this is a protein produced by the virus that is important for both viral growth and evasion of the host's immune defences. This project aims to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes, which may lead to new approaches to combat currently incurable viral diseases.
Influenza remains an important disease and exacts a high toll in both morbidity and mortality each year. This project will identify the carbohydrates that are utilised by influenza virus to initiate infection throughout the body and map how these carbohydrates interact with the key viral surface proteins. This research will provide new insight into the emergence of new influenza virus strains and cross-species pathogenicity.