Viruses impact all levels of cellular biology and our lab studies these molecular interactions to understand the intricate interplay between a virus and its host cell. We characterise viral infections using cutting edge imaging and molecular tools in a variety of primary and cell-line based models. Our particular focus is understanding how viruses impact the homeostatic balance of cellular physiology and pathology.
Our research focuses on understanding the complex interplay between the virus and the host cell in diseases that impact human health. Specifically, our research is centred around investigating the relationship between the hypoxic-inducible-factor (HIF) oxygen sensing pathway and viral replication. HIF-regulated pathways are often overlooked since most viral replication systems are cultured at atmospheric oxygen and our work has uncovered new intrinsic host pathways that regulate infection and are likely to impact a wide range of viruses.
Recently, we showed that human coronaviruses are sensitive to the host-hypoxic signalling and lead a program of research to study how this pathway regulates the replication of these viruses as well as other respiratory pathogens.
An expanding focus of the Wing Group is zoonotic and cross-species viral infection, particularly in reservoir hosts such as bats. This work aims to understand how cellular oxygen sensing, metabolism, and innate immune signalling contribute to viral tolerance and long-term coexistence with pathogens that can cause severe disease in humans. This work has direct relevance to pandemic preparedness and aligns closely with global efforts to understand spillover risk.
Our Team
-
Peter Wing
Group Leader
-
Jiyeon Ha
Research Assistant
-
Tian Zheng
Assistant Research Fellow
-
Madeline Carey
DPhil Student
Collaborators
Matthew Bottomley - CAMS Oxford Institute
Adan Pinto-Fernandez - CAMS Oxford Institute
Tammie Bishop - TDI Nuffield Department of Medicine
Miles Carroll - PSI
Jon Grimes - OPIC