Welcome to the Cristea Lab:
Virology meets proteomics: defining the spatiotemporal interplay between virus and host
Our laboratory is poised at the interface of virology and proteomics, and aims to understand the mechanisms that control the fate of cells under invasion by pathogens. We apply multidisciplinary approaches to study the dynamic relationships between virus and host, and work to define both cellular defense mechanisms and viral manipulations that inhibit or hijack host cell processes. By integrating mass spectrometry-based proteomics with molecular virology, microscopy, and bioinformatics, we continue to develop comprehensive proteomics-based approaches for characterizing virus-host interplay. We are currently exploring several areas of interest:
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Dynamic regulation of host-virus protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions during the progression of an infection
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Mechanisms of sensing pathogenic DNA within the nuclei of infected cells and propagation of the subsequent intrinsic and innate immune responses, as well as viral evasion strategies
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Global remodeling of the subcellular landscape and cellular organelles as viral infection progresses
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Roles and regulation of human deacetylases (histone deacetylases - HDACs and sirtuins - SIRTs) during viral infections
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Developing targeted and large-scale proteomic tools for quantifying proteins and posttranslational modifications, identifying protein interactions, determining the specificity of interactions, defining distinct protein complexes, and measuring the relative stability of interactions across infection time
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Beyond pathogen infections, we also are actively elucidating the cellular pathology of Huntington's disease via a partnership with the CHDI Foundation, uncovering regulatory mechanisms of tumor-host interactions via a partnership with Stand Up to Cancer, exploring the molecular determinants of mammalian heart disease by working closely with the group of Dr. Frank Conlon (UNC Chapel Hill), and fostering multidisciplinary collaborations with research groups across the globe
