Institute of Virology

Influenza A viruses are highly zoonotic pathogens that occur in a wide variety of host species. Our team is investigating the potential of emerging influenza A viruses to cross the human species barrier and exploring virus-host interactions.

Determining the Zoonotic Potential of Emerging influenza A viruses

Influenza A viruses of animal origins recurrently cross the human interspecies barrier, often causing severe disease in individuals. However, for sustained human-to-human transmission of these zoonotic viruses, influenza A viruses need to acquire several adaptations in the viral proteins that allow them to overcome the host restriction. In order to determine the zoonotic potential of newly emerging influenza A viruses, we investigate the ability of zoonotic viruses to escape innate immune restriction, particularly by human MxA. 

Deciphering virus-host interactions in bat reservoirs

In recent years, bats have received increased attention as hosts for a variety of zoonotic viruses, including Niphah, Ebola and Marburg viruses, as well as SARS and MERS coronaviruses. Interestingly, while spillover infections of these bat-borne viruses from their natural host to humans can cause severe and often fatal disease, infections in bats are usually innocuous.

Using the Jamaican fruit bat (Artibeus jamaicensis) and the bat influenza A virus H18N11, which reflects a natural virus-host interaction, we study viral infection dynamics and the imposed innate and adaptive immune responses required to control viral infections. Using comparative immunological approaches, we aim to identify host-specific strategies for virus control between bats and humans.

Role of macrophages in influenza A virus infections (MAC’n FLU)

Zoonotic influenza A virus infections can cause severe disease in humans; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. Several lines of evidence suggest that infection of alveolar macrophages with zoonotic influenza A viruses triggers an excessive release of pro-inflammatory cytokines that is central to disease development. In the DFG funded Emmy-Noether project MAC’n FLU, we integrate bioinformatic modeling with molecular virology approaches to examine macrophage host responses to influenza A virus infection and to identify the viral determinants that drive these pathogenic programs.