New Research Group in IIMCB: Laboratory of RNA Viruses Led by Dr. Stefan Bresson

Investigating how RNA viruses hijack host cellular machinery to ensure their replication and suppress host defenses will be the main research focus of the new Laboratory of RNA Viruses at IIMCB.

Fot.: Dr. Stefan Bresson, Leader of the Laboratory of RNA Viruses at IIMCB 

The new laboratory, led by Dr. Stefan Bresson, will strengthen one of the key research areas at IIMCB, which is RNA research. The research group will focus on the mechanisms by which RNA viruses reprogram host cells. Analysis of viral elements and their interactions with proteins of the infected organism will identify potential targets for antiviral therapies. The second area of research will involve the relationship between viral replication and cellular RNA degradation pathways. This will identify strategies that viruses use to evade host defense mechanisms.

"Viral infection drives a continuous arms race between virus and host; viruses develop new strategies to exploit cellular pathways, while the host counters with new mechanisms to thwart the invader," says Dr. Stefan Bresson, Head of the Laboratory of RNA Viruses at IIMCB. "Despite their simplicity, RNA viruses have developed complex strategies to exploit cellular processes, making them a critical focus of research."

As Dr. Bresson explains, after gaining entry to a suitable host cell, the virus commandeers the cell’s protein production machinery and uses it to build new viral proteins. At the same time, the virus suppresses the production of cellular proteins to prevent the host cell from mounting a defense.

"By studying how viruses manipulate host resources and machinery, we can identify potential weak points in the virus’s replication cycle. My laboratory will apply these insights to model systems such as picornaviruses and coronaviruses, contributing to the development of new therapeutic strategies," declares Dr. Stefan Bresson.

Dr. Stefan Bresson is a molecular biologist specializing in RNA research. He earned his PhD in Biological Chemistry from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in 2015 and a BSc in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of Texas at Austin in 2009. Dr. Bresson’s research experience includes a postdoctoral position at the University of Edinburgh, where he worked from 2015 to 2024, and doctoral research at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas from 2010 to 2014.