Muenchhoff Lab - Research
Understanding host-virus interactions of the two pandemic pathogens HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2
Our research work is devoted to understanding host-virus interactions of the two pandemic pathogens HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2. Building on our platform for genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 we are investigating its evolution in adaptation to the human immune system. We seek to elucidate immune escape mutations that are selected under antibody and T-cell responses in emerging variants and in hosts with prolonged infection. With a broad interest in the immunopathogenesis of viral infections we aim to decipher immunological signatures that are associated with differential disease phenotypes in clinical cohorts of SARS-CoV-2- and HIV-1-infected individuals. At the National Reference Center for Retroviruses we are developing state-of-the-art methods to quantify and characterize HIV persistence in patient samples and primary cell models.