A long-standing question regarding the biology of these viruses is: How do viruses replicate in tissues of both gut and brain origin? Identifying the molecular signatures underlying gut- and brain-specific replication is vital for therapeutic development. We recently made fundamental discoveries in this field: the first neurotropic determinants in astroviruses (Ali et al., 2023) and modulation of translation initiation in enteroviruses that is specific to terminally differentiated cells (O'Connor et al., 2026). These are examples of molecular regulation in a cell-type-specific manner that set the ground for further research using techniques developed in our group.
In this PhD project, you will investigate molecular mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions in neuronal and intestinal cells. You will use cutting-edge technologies, combining molecular virology, genome editing, virus evolution, and organoid infection models, to address fundamental questions about host-pathogen interactions in tissue/cell-specific environments.
This project will provide outstanding interdisciplinary training in infection biology, organoid infection models, host-pathogen interactions, as well as highly transferable quantitative and molecular skills.
Funding Notes
4 Year PhD Prize Studentships cover full University fees, a tax free enhanced stipend of ~£24,305 pa, and up to £5,300 pa for research costs and travel. The competition is open to applicants from all countries. See View Website for full details and to apply.
References
- Noyvert D, Neves LX, Fominykh K, Hankinson J, Lindsey G, Lulla A, Emmott E, Lulla V. Viral protease-mediated polyprotein processing in human astroviruses. (2026). NPJ Viruses, PMID: 42286165
- Noyvert D, Darr IM, Fominykh K, Hankinson J, Lukhovitskaya N, Firth AE, Lulla V. The dynamics and strategy of RNA replication in astroviruses. (2026). NAR Mol Med, 3(2):ugag021. PMID: 42087922
- O'Connor RL, Cook GM, Hankinson J, Fominykh K, Cheng SH, Nash D, Cenier A, Nayak KM, Graham SG, Deane JE, Zilbauer M, Firth AE, Lulla V. Flexibility and modulation of translation initiation in enterovirus genomes. (2026). PLOS Pathogens, 22(2): e1013967. PMID: 41662385
- Lulla V and Sridhar A. Understanding neurotropic enteric viruses: routes of infection and mechanisms of attenuation. (2024) Review. Cell Mol Life Sci, 81(1):413. PMID: 39365457
- Ali H, Noyvert D, Hankinson J, Lindsey G, Lulla A, Lulla V. The astrovirus N-terminal nonstructural protein anchors replication complexes to the perinuclear ER membranes. (2024). PLOS Pathogens, 20(7): e1011959. PMID: 39008516
- Ali H, Lulla A, Nicholson AS, Hankinson J, Wignall-Fleming EB, O'Connor RL, Vu D-L, Graham SC, Deane JE, Guix S, Lulla V. (2023). Attenuation hotspots in neurotropic human astroviruses. PLOS Biology, 21(7):e3001815. PMID: 37459343
