Dr John Taylor
Faculty of Science/Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand
Tel: +64 9 923 2854
Email: ja.taylor@auckland.ac.nz
Web: www.unidirectory.auckland.ac.nz/profile/ja-taylor
The main interest of our lab is the pathogenesis of viral infections. Our research uses rotavirus, a major cause of gastroenteritis in infants, as an experimental tool to reveal ways in which infection can influence cellular, immunological and physiological function in the host. Our goal is to understand the mechanisms that underpin viral disease at a molecular level and thereby identify new opportunities for therapeutic control of disease.
Dr Richard Kingston
Faculty of Science/Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand
Tel:+64 9 923 4414
Email: rl.kingston@auckland.ac.nz
Web: www.persephone.sbs.auckland.ac.nz/richard/lab/research.html
We use biophysical techniques to investigate virus architecture, assembly and replication. A particular emphasis is placed on understanding the molecular interactions that are involved (protein-protein, protein-RNA, and protein-lipid). Our work is carried out in vitro, using purified viral and cellular components. A variety of biophysical techniques are employed, including spectroscopy, light scattering, micro-calorimetry, X-ray crystallography, and electron microscopy. While the viruses under study have disparate life cycles, they all possess RNA genomes, and they are all enveloped (i.e. wrapped in a membrane that is derived from the host cell).
Dr Robin MacDiarmid
Faculty of Science/Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand
Tel:+64 9 923 4414
Email: robin.macdiarmid@auckland.ac.nz
Web: www.unidirectory.auckland.ac.nz/profile/robin-macdiarmid
Plant Viruses
Dr David Goldstone
Faculty of Science/Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand
Tel:+64 9 923 4607
Email: d.goldstone@auckland.ac.nz
Web: www.unidirectory.auckland.ac.nz/profile/d-goldstone
I am interested in how HIV and other retroviruses interact with components of the host cell during infection. These interactions govern both the ability of the virus to reproduce, and the ability of the cell to block and contain infection. Of particular interest are members of the TRIM protein family that can recognise retroviral components within the cell and then act to block the viral lifecycle, disrupting infection. We aim to characterise these proteins and the interactions they make using X-ray crystallography, small-angle X-ray scattering and other biophysical techniques.