Steven Heaton

Steven is a molecular immunologist dissecting the exquisite assembly and function of antiviral immune systems and host-virus interplay to develop new antiviral technologies and lead collaborative, international research efforts.

Steven's work investigates the molecular mechanisms that control the innate immune system and methods by which viruses manipulate these mechanisms to facilitate their replication. By targeting multifunctional host proteins, viruses can factorially enhance their replication by favourably manipulating multiple host cell processes at once. Drawing upon a wide range of techniques in molecular biology, cell biology, virology and structural biology, Steven's vision is to leverage such evolutionary ‘strengths’ of viruses against them, to design new kinds of antiviral therapies that are effective yet resilient against virus escape.

RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs), NOD-like receptors (NLRs), and Toll-like receptors (TLRs) sense virus components inside infected cells to trigger an antiviral state. In turn, viruses subvert immune and other host cell processes in order to replicate.

Steven's primary research interests include innate immune signalling and viral immune evasion, post-translational regulation of RNA-binding proteins and immune receptors, post-transcriptional regulation of RNA and translating biomedical research into new technologies and treatments.

Steven is a specialist in recombinant protein expression, purification and biochemical characterisation, molecular biology and cloning techniques, confocal microscopy and cell and virus culture.

Steven has trained hundreds of students across 20 units in the principles and applications of biochemistry and molecular biology in the study and treatment of human disease. Steven has also directly supervised one BCH3990 final year biochemistry research student.