The Grove Lab

Molecular Virology + Artificial Intelligence

Research Overview

In the Grove Lab, we harness cutting-edge artificial intelligence alongside classical experimental virology to investigate the structure, function and evolution of viral proteins. Our focus is viral entry glycoproteins, but our combined computational and experimental approach is broadly applicable across molecular virology.

AI-Enabled Discovery

Artificial intelligence is revolutionising molecular virology, enabling us to predict viral protein structures, infer evolutionary relationships, and identify novel targets for vaccines or therapies.

Good-old-fashioned Experimental Virology

Experimental virology research grounds our computational predictions in real-world biology. We apply a range of classical virological techniques to explore viral entry, host interactions, and evolution.

Lab Highlights

We used protein structure prediction to reveal the evolutionary history of the Flaviviridae.
We investigated functional changes in the spike protein of various SARS-CoV-2 variants, see herehere and here.
We discovered a shared and (probably) novel membrane fusion mechanism in the Hepaci- Pegi- and Pestiviruses.