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Research Labs: Paul Bieniasz, Ph.D.
We work on the molecular and cellular biology of the retrovirus replication cycle. Retroviruses are molecular parasites, and one aspect of our work is to try to understand how retroviruses like HIV mimick, manipulate and exploit components of the cells they infect in order to facilitate their own replication. A particular focus is to determine how the viral components are assembled during the construction of new virus particles, and the role of viral and host proteins in this process. Another major goal is to understand the workings and evolution of natural defense mechanisms that many cells have developed to try to prevent retrovirus replication. These natural defenses interfere with several steps in retrovirus life cycle, and understanding natural variation in them, the mechanism by which they work and how retroviruses acquire resistance to them could enable completely new therapeutic strategies and the development of better animal models of human AIDS.
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