Molecular Biology and Human Genetics

Four Months in Bochum

Dennis Otieno has been awarded a DAAD Research Stay Funding and will be conducting research over four months at the Department of Translational and Computational Infection Research under the supervision of Daniel Todt. We’d like to introduce our guest in the form of a profile.

Name: Dennis Otieno

Specialization: Molecular Biology and Human Genetics

Home university: Stellenbosch University

Type of scholarship: DAAD Research Stay Funding

Host at the RUB: Professor Daniel Todt, Department of Translational and Computational Infection Research

Duration of stay: Four months

Research focus at RUB: My research focuses on understanding the interaction between yellow fever virus clinical strains and the vaccine strain to determine whether they utilize the same host cell receptors and whether they bind to these receptors at similar levels. This work aims to provide insights into the molecular mechanisms that influence viral entry, infectivity, and attenuation of the vaccine strain. By comparing receptor usage between pathogenic and vaccine strains, we hope to better understand the factors that contribute to differences in viral behavior, immune response, and safety. This research combines virology, molecular biology, and computational approaches to explore virus-host interactions and may contribute to improved understanding of yellow fever virus biology and vaccine development.