The Steinhauer laboratory is primarily interested in influenza virus entry into host cells and the role of the hemagglutinin glycoprotein (HA) in this process. The work has a strong focus on the structure-function relationships of HA with regard to its receptor binding and membrane fusion properties. The work combines protein structure analysis and molecular virology techniques to address specific questions on how influenza viruses attach to cells, deliver their genomes, assemble at the end of the replication cycle, and evolve to evade host immune responses and the action of antiviral drugs. We are also attempting to exploit our knowledge of high resolution HA structures to design novel vaccines for influenza, and for other pathogens using influenza as a vector.

[steinhauer@microbio.emory.edu]