Structure and Cell Biology of Viruses

The years 2020-2021 underscored the critical importance of virology and immunology research. Rapid pandemic response depends on decades of accumulated basic knowledge and technological advances.

Studying viruses that infect bacteria, archaea, or eukaryotes - from basic to translational perspectives - ultimately benefits society. The Abrescia Lab uses structural methods to elucidate mechanisms of viral pathogenesis, focusing on virus assembly, cell entry, and antibody recognition. Deciphering virus assembly guides strategies to interfere with viral morphogenesis, while expanding our structural knowledge of the 'virosphere' reveals evolutionary relationships not visible from sequence data alone. By understanding how viruses unlock entry into host cells, we designed antibody-based strategies to disrupt this mechanism and fine-tune neutralization.

We take an integrative structural biology approach, combining electron microscopy (cryo-EM and cryo-ET), X-ray crystallography and biophysical methods with expertise in molecular and cell biology, complemented by functional studies. Access to high-end cryo-EM and crystallographic infrastructure lets us resolve viral structure at atomic resolution, translating molecular insights into drugs, diagnostics, and vaccines for human and animal health.

Our targets include viruses with an internal membrane and medically relevant enveloped viruses, viral vectors for gene therapy such as AAV, and prototype vaccines within the One Health framework.