PhD Studentship: Comparative innate immune sensing of zoonotic viruses

Project title: Comparative innate immune sensing of zoonotic viruses - Professor Brian Ferguson Why do some viruses cause severe disease after they cross into a new species, while others don't? This project will investigate how differences in pattern recognition receptor (PRR) signalling between host species influence virus infection, adaptation and zoonotic emergence. We will compare PRR pathways and downstream immune responses across different host species to determine how variation in pathogen sensing, signalling strength and immune regulation shapes the outcomes of virus/host interactions. Using molecular virology, immunology and comparative approaches, the research will identify conserved and species-specific mechanisms that determine the outcome of cross-species infection.