Prof Nicolas Locker

After studying Biochemistry, Nicolas dived into the world of RNA-protein interactions, during an MSc in Molecular Biophysics at Paris VI (Fr), and a PhD with Eric Guittet at Paris XI (Fr) graduating in 2003. He applied NMR spectroscopy and biochemical techniques to characterise RNA-proteins interactions important for HIV replication. He pursued this interest at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge (UK), with Peter Lukavsky, and University Paris Descartes (Fr), with Bruno Sargueil, teasing out how structures within the HCV and HIV RNAs coordinate the recruitment of the translation machinery by isolating ribosomal complexes. In 2009, He established his own lab at University of Surrey, first as Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Reader and then Professor of Virology and lead the Virology Section.

Over the years he has developed a competitive research programme at the interface between Diseases, Virology and RNA biology. His lab is interested in unravelling new mechanisms contributing to the multifaceted regulation of gene expression by viruses, and how they impact on the antiviral response, focussing on economically important human and animal viruses but also other diseases. Establishing the Viral Stress Responses in 2023 at Pirbright, his group will continue applying ‘omics technologies, biochemical and advanced imaging tools to characterise how different pathogens rewire cellular stress responses during infection focussing on the spatio-temporal control of cellular contents, their redistribution to biocondensates and the role of mitochondrial stress. His group will develop novel tools to isolate biocondensates from virus-infected cells and fingerprint stress responses in infected cells.