About us

Discover the Virhox Team

University of Padova

Dr. Umberto Rosani

In our laboratory we are interested in the molecular interplay between viruses and hosts.
We are researching in the field of molecular biology and, by developing high-throughput sequencing approaches, we aim to investigate viral and cellular genomics, transcriptional regulation and RNA modifications.

The VirHoX project has a very clear objective. It will simply exploit what viruses are doing, i.e. hailjacking host cellular machinery, to disentangle their associations with hosts. Our involvement in the VirHoX project as coordinator will challenge us to amalgamate the results of the project’s team into a single tool, and benchmarking it for different combinations of viruses and hosts

PARTNER

Pasteur institute

Description in progress

ISTA

Prof. Carrie Bernecky

Our laboratory focuses on understanding the mechanisms of transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of RNA. As part of our research program, we have a strong interest in the RNA-dependent mechanisms by which host organisms protect themselves from pathogens. We apply biochemical approaches to purify and reconstitute protein and protein-RNA complexes. We analyze these complexes using a combination of in vitro biochemistry and cryo-electron microscopy to gain insights into RNA metabolism and gene regulation.

PARTNER

CNRS

Description in progress

partner

University of Trieste

Most of our research focuses on the early natural history of the invertebrate innate immune system (Bivalves and Crustaceans), with particular attention given to the genetics of antimicrobial peptides (AMP), pathogen receptors (PRR) and the relative signal transduction. Our long standing expertise on genomic data management paved the way for long term collaborations with colleagues interested in the comparative genomics of vertebrates, in particular fishes. In recent years, our collaborations have supported the analysis of both animal and plant biodiversity. For this purpose we apply both DNA metabarcoding and environmental DNA (eDNA) technologies.

Our role in the VirHoX project focuses on environmental microbiology combined with genomics and bioinformatics, applying the VirHo-seq approach to complex environmental samples. We contribute to the generation and bioinformatic analysis of high-throughput sequencing data to identify virus–host interactions and to interpret viral diversity and ecology in natural ecosystems.

PARTNER

University of Oslo

Description in progress

partner

FIZ

Dara Hallinan’s main research focus is on the interaction between law, new technologies and society. In this regard, his primary area of legal expertise is EU data protection law. He takes a specific interest in technological and social developments related to ICT and biotech.

FIZ Karlsruhe’s role in VirHoX is to provide an analysis of the legal framework relevant to the technology which will be developed to identify virus-host interactions. In particular, FIZ will analyze the relevant legal frameworks concerning EU data protection law, and IP law, and will, on the back of these analyses, elaborate policy proposals which will smooth the way to successful technological development and deployment moving forward.

industrial PARTNER

Eubiome

Description in progress