Simultaneous host and pathogen ’omics to interrogate the HIV reservoir

The aim of this project will be to apply Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) approaches simultaneously to both host and the HIV provirus. The candidate will apply and improve methods to produce full-length viral haplotype and integration site data (already developed in the lab) from cohorts of individuals with treated early HIV infection, many of whom will receive experimental interventions and stop antiretroviral therapy.

Simultaneously, unbiased transcriptomic profiling (RNASeq) and analysis of DNA accessibility (ATAC-Seq) will be incorporated to allow a global interrogation of viral and host genomics, with potential to extend this to single cell analyses. Following method development, clinical samples from UK cohorts will be analysed to characterise the reservoir and to inform the source of rebound viraemia on treatment interruption. The work will therefore have both a cross-sectional and longitudinal component, promising significant analytical power. Working collaboratively with other group members and projects to link cell phenotype and subset with viral phylogenetics to identify the source of viraemia will be an important part of the work.

The candidate would be expected to have interests in both the laboratory wet-lab and bioinformatic components of the project, to achieve a unified problem-solving approach.