FAU own research funding: EFI / IZKF / EAM ...
Start date : 01.09.2016
End date : 31.08.2022
We are excited by developing and using physics-based approaches to study biological processes. In particular, we like to observe how enzymes process nucleic acids, e.g. DNA or RNA, and proteins. These processes are at the heart of the replication, expression and maintenance of the genome and are therefore key aspects of the life cycle of every organisms. We use single-molecule techniques such as magnetic tweezers and fluorescence microscopy to investigate the dynamics of intermolecular motions during enzymatic activity. Our lab is broadly interested into genome replication and transcription, with a specific focus on RNA viruses. This family of viruses represents an important group of pathogens involved in many pandemics, e.g. Zika virus, Ebola virus, MERS coronavirus, Dengue virus, West Nile virus and Influenza virus to cite a few. By providing a different angle in their study, our goal is to understand how these viruses process their genome to help the development of new antiviral strategies.