Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites with limited genome and thereby rely on the host cell machinery for their proliferation. Thereby viruses have evolved molecular strategies to escape the cellular innate immune surveillance and to usurp/hijack the host cell signaling to benefit their proliferation. The virus-mediated alterations to the host signalling pathways or the host response to infection often predisposes the host to viral disease.
The cellular mitochondria, membranes and cytoskeleton are primary targets of many viruses. Mitochondria serve as the hub for many cellular events and mitochondrial dynamics is considered an integral cellular process with implications in cellular homeostasis, metabolism, inflammation and innate immunity. The cellular physiological perturbation associated with viral infection may affect host cell mitochondria and their dynamics. On the contrary, the viruses may directly target or exploit mitochondria and/or mitochondrial dynamics as a viral strategy to escape cellular defense mechanisms and promote viral proliferation.


The complex interplay between the virus and the cellular mitochondria and the subsequent consequence on mitochondrial- metabolism, antiviral and inflammatory signaling may influence the outcome of viral infection and pave way for viral disease pathogenesis.
Currently the lab will be working with the flaviviruses, Dengue virus (DENV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and the hepadnavirus, Hepatitis B virus (HBV). This is an emerging and unexplored area with many viruses remaining to be characterized in this direction. In future we will also explore other pathogenic viruses and determine the significance of the virus and host mitochondria interaction on viral proliferation and disease pathogenesis. We will also explore/elucidate the yet unknown/uncharacterized events in DENV, HCV and HBV lifecycle.
The major focus of the lab will be;
- Characterize the virus-host interaction at the mitochondrial perspective and elucidate the viral strategies that exploit host signalling/responses to promote viral proliferation and predispose to disease pathogenesis
- Characterize the yet uncharacterised events in HCV, DENV and HBV life cycle such as the assembly/morphogenesis and secretion of virus particle.
- Identify crucial targets and develop potential therapeutic strategies to curb viral infection and disease pathogenesis.
Current Members
Ph.D students:
- Bharti Singh
- Kokavalla Poornima
- Mohd Faraz Alam
- Avula Kiran
National Postdoctoral Fellow: Debjani Tarapdhar
Research assistant: Sushree K Tanaya
Lab Technician: Subham K Sahu
Past Members: JRF (Wellcome-DBT project): Ruthu Nagraj, MSc
The lab welcomes applications from suitable applicants interested to pursue any postdoctoral fellowships in India I will guide them through the application process. All prospective candidates please do email your resume at gulamsyed@ils.res.in with a brief write up on your research interests and future goals.