Maria McClave

Research/Areas of Interest

To enter a host cell, Herpes simplex viruses (HSV) use a set of viral glycoproteins (gB, gD, and gH/gL) unlike most enveloped viruses which require just a single glycoprotein. My project focuses on characterizing the structure and function of these proteins to better understand the intermolecular signals used to trigger viral membrane fusion. Using a variety of biochemical and biophysical techniques, such as cryo-electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography, I hope to gain insight into the complex mechanism of HSV host-cell entry.