Molecular biology of HIV replication and antiviral strategies
Basic research focuses on:
This research line includes both basic and applied human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) research, which are intermingled and complement each other.
- The structure and function of the HIV genome. In particular, we investigate the structure of the viral RNA and its role in different replication steps, such as transcription, RNA splicing, dimerization and packaging.
- The role of the viral Tat protein in HIV replication.
- Mechanism of HIV resistance against Integrase inhibitors
Applied research focuses on:
- Novel strategies to inhibit HIV replication (based on the CRISPR/Cas9 system and RNA interference mechanism).
- Development of conditionally replicating HIV variants as a novel approach toward a safe live-attenuated HIV vaccine and as a tool to study the host (immune) responses that correlate with protection induced by live-attenuated virus vaccines.
- The use of viral evolution as a tool to develop new gene expression systems (Tet-On systems).
Research team
Atze T. Das, PhD
Associate Professor, specialty Molecular Virology
After completing his Biology study at the University of Groningen, Atze performed his PhD research at the Department of Anatomy and Embryology of the University of Amsterdam (group of Prof. Wout H. Lamers) focusing on the regulation of heterogeneous gene expression in the liver.
After a 5-year postdoc period in the Department of Human Retrovirology, doing HIV molecular biology research in the group of Ben Berkhout, he was appointed as assistant professor in the Department of Anatomy and Embryology. He returned to the HIV field 2 years later and is currently associate professor in the Laboratory of Experimental Virology.
Atze is a member of the Netherlands Commission on Genetic Modification (COGEM) that provides advice to the government on the risks to human health and the environment of the production and use of GMOs. He is also the biological safety officer of Experimental Virology labs.
- José G. Dekker, PhD student (Mutations in the HIV polypurine tract can confer resistance against the integrase inhibitor Dolutegravir)
- Bep Klaver, technician (HIV cloning, mutagenesis and culturing)
- Ye Liu, PhD student (CRISPR-Cas against HIV)
Email: .t.das@amsterdamumc.nl