... for example in diseases where loss of cell viability is contributing to progression of specific diseases. Such approaches could be particularly valuable in neurological conditions where protein misfolding leads to neuronal cell death.

Q6 - What do you hope to achieve next? We are currently working on new small molecule approaches that aim to activate cellular stress responses with cell-protective effects. This could have various specific benefits, ...

... This knowledge can inform CRISPR technology or inhibitors against “undruggable” protein targets.

Q5 - What’s something people often misunderstand about your field? Why gaining deep understanding of cellular biochemistry can enable new discoveries with profound implications.

Q4 - How could your research help people or the planet? Deep understanding of complex biological processes is critical to enable broad benefits to society, e.g. when designing innovative therapeutic strategies or for biotechnology. ...

... Such inhibitors are currently being pursued by two biotechnology companies and first lead molecule is currently being tested in clinical trials for ultimate treatment of solid tumours in different cancer types.

Q3 - What’s a discovery or project you’re especially proud of? Our long-term work on inhibitors of protein secretion that act in an unexpected client-selective manner, including first structural characterisation & collaboration of medicinal chemists to optimise the compounds. ...

Q2 - What excites you most about your work? The ability to understand at a deep level the mechanisms that enable cells to orchestrate their complex biochemistries and the impact this can have for being able to modulate biology for biotechnology and drug discovery.

... Our work aims to uncover new disease-related mechanisms and small molecules that can serve as starting points for drug discovery in areas such as cancer, immunology and antiviral development.

Q1 - What is your research about, in simple terms?
Our group tries to understand mechanisms of eukaryotic protein biogenesis, especially machineries within the early secretory pathway that are required for biosynthesis and folding of secreted and membrane proteins. ...

...lucky to have recruited many excellent people who share my passion for alphavirus-host interactions.

Q5 - What’s something people often misunderstand about your field?
I won’t soon forget when someone asked me if domestic poultry are a reservoir for “Chicken Gunya virus”.

Q4 - Who or what has most influenced your scientific journey?
Certainly, I've had very many wise mentors during my career, but the wonderful people who have most influenced my scientific journey are the students and postdocs that have worked in my lab over the years. I've been...

... With climate change, we can expect more outbreaks of this ‘tropical’ disease in other parts of the world, exemplified by the current chikungunya outbreak in Southern France.

Q3 - How could your research help people?
Chikungunya is a significant challenge for global health and is mostly found in low- and middle-income countries. More vaccines and antiviral drugs are desperately needed. ...

Q2 - What excites you most about your work?
Finding that sweet spot covered by the questions “What is Interesting?”, “What is Important?” and “What is Feasible?”.
If you can situate yourself in that section of the Venn diagram, then you will find your Flow.

Q1 - Put simply, what is your research about?
Interactions between viruses and cells in the first hours of infection. Particularly alphaviruses, a family including the human pathogen chikungunya virus, transmitted by mosquitos & causing a febrile disease with severe joint pain.

Gerald McInerney is the head of the McInerney Research Group. His research is primarily focussed early interactions between viruses and their host cells, using alphaviruses as model systems. Within the VIGILANT Project, his lab is primarily responsible for Chikungunya virus.