Projects
MOLECULAR EVOLUTION OF A NEW EBOLA VIRUS STRAIN AND ANALYSIS OF KIR GENE VARIANTS IN EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE KU Leuven
Ebolaviruses are emerging viruses that pose a significant threat to wildlife populations and to public health in Africa. Of the six viral species of the genus Ebolavirus, three can cause severe and fatal diseases in humans: Zaire ebolavirus, Sudan ebolavirus and Bundibungyo ebolavirus. Although Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV) is known to be the deadliest species, some EBOV-infected individuals can completely resist ...
Melding phylodynamic inference with molecular archeology to unravel the drivers of the pandemic emergence of HIV-1. KU Leuven
The analysis of viral genome data using evolutionary approaches has become a major asset in characterizing the epidemic dynamics of viruses. Fast-evolving viruses such as the Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 (HIV-1) can accumulate significant diversity over short time scales, leading to a genomic imprint of the ecological context in which it spreads. By statistically analysing these genetic differences, it is possible to identify the factors ...
Molecular mechanism of Type 3 protein targeting and secretion KU Leuven
Type III secretion (T3S) is a specialized protein export and delivery system for bacterial protein toxins. These effectors are directly injected in the cytoplasm of host eukaryotic cells, through a dedicated nanosyringe, the injectisome, that spans two bacterial and one eukaryotic membrane. T3SS is one of the most complex protein secretion systems known. To become functional, up to 40 different proteins, in hundreds of copies, interact and ...
Development and appliation of cellular and molecular tools for monitoring miltefosine resistance in Leishmania donovani isolates from Nepal Institute of Tropical Medicine
Uncovering molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction between environment and health. Hasselt University
Viral infections: molecular insights, targets for intervention and drug development KU Leuven
IDENTIFICATION, MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION AND QUANTIFICATION OF AEDES MOSQUITO-BORNE VIROME IN CAMEROON KU Leuven
Global health security is increasingly threatened by emerging and re-emerging pathogens originating mainly from wildlife whose consequences to human and animal health can be devastating. Many of these pathogens are vectored by blood-feeding arthropods, specifically mosquitoes. The mosquito is an efficient vector for a multitude of virulent pathogens such as Plasmodium spp., filarial nematodes, Zika virus, dengue virus, Rift Valley fever virus ...
Integrating molecular archeology and Bayesian phylodynamics to elucidate the hidden history of HIV-1. KU Leuven
Combating pathogen spread and its associated disease burden is a tremendous challenge requiring sustained research effort and decided public health measures. The availability of genomic data provides a major asset in characterizing the interplay between viral evolution and host ecology, including the determination of the key factors for successful epidemic spread in the human population. These factors are, however, still largely unresolved ...