University of Iowa · Microbiology & ImmunologyInfluenza Virus and Immune Interactions Lab
Balaji Manicassamy · Iowa City, Iowa
Research Focus
Dr. Balaji Manicassamy's research lab at the University of Iowa focuses on understanding how influenza viruses transmit between different species and evade the immune system. They study the roles of sugars on cell surfaces that the virus uses to infect cells, aiming to uncover how these interactions can lead to pandemics. Additionally, the lab investigates a specific protein complex that regulates immune responses to viruses, which may help in understanding diseases linked to uncontrolled immune activity.
influenza viruseszoonotic transmissionsialic acidimmune regulationCRISPRglycansinnate immunityviral replicationtranscriptional regulationvirus-host interactions
Research Aims
5AIM 01Identify the glycan structures that facilitate influenza virus infection across various hosts.
AIM 02Develop a technology platform to assess zoonotic influenza strains that can infect humans.
AIM 03Characterize the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms of the CIC-ATXN1/L complex during viral infections.
AIM 04Investigate the role of sialoglycans in host adaptation and viral fitness.
AIM 05Explore the impact of innate immune response regulation on chronic diseases associated with viral infections.
Skills the Lab Values
CRISPR/Cas9cell cultureRNA sequencingchromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)promoter analysisA549 cell line experimentationsingle cell multi-omicselectroporationviral assaysgenome-wide screening
Output against the department
Publications129bottom 49% of dept.248th of 486
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations7.2ktop 49% of dept.240th of 486
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.