Alfredo Castello@Alf_Castello

Professor at the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research

 United Kingdom
castellolab.com
Joined May 2017
70 Photos and videos
What else is inside an HIV-1 particle besides viral RNA and proteins? Led by @ManuelGM87ivRIC, we revealed 104 host #RBPs bound to HIV genome in virions and found PURA as a reverse transcription helper. #HIV #Virology #RNA #HostPathogenInteraction. cell.com/cell-reports/fullte…

Incorporation of genome-bound cellular proteins into HIV-1 particles regulates viral infection

Does HIV-1 package host proteins that promote infection? Using in virion RNA interactome capture, Garcia-Moreno et al. mapped human proteins bound to the viral genome inside virions. They identified...

cell.com
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Alfredo Castello retweeted
Joe Lam@KaiChing123
Apr 9
(1/6) We are so excited to share our latest work on CRISPR-Cas13 in @NatureComms! We unveiled the cleavage mechanism of Cas13 and established the RNA Segment Editing (RSE), a targeted RNA cleavage and repair tool. nature.com/articles/s41467-0… A thread 🧵

Molecular basis of target RNA cleavage by Cas13

Nature Communications - CRISPR-Cas13 are robust RNA knockdown tools with both on-target and collateral cleavage activities. Here, the authors combine in vitro and in vivo methods to elucidate the...

nature.com
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Alfredo Castello retweeted
Chul KWON@schul_kwon
Apr 9
Our paper on Cas13 mechanism and RNA segment editing is online! Thanks to @Alf_Castello for XRN1 KO cells and @hkusbms @hkumed for support! Please check @KaiChing123's summary for details.
Joe Lam@KaiChing123
Apr 9
(1/6) We are so excited to share our latest work on CRISPR-Cas13 in @NatureComms! We unveiled the cleavage mechanism of Cas13 and established the RNA Segment Editing (RSE), a targeted RNA cleavage and repair tool. nature.com/articles/s41467-0… A thread 🧵
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Proud of @LouieIselin. Not the easiest PhD, covid, two supervisors moving labs, but she pushed through and delivered a really solid piece of work on how interferon reshapes RNA-protein interactions postranslationally cell.com/cell-reports/fullte…⁠� cell.com/cell-reports/fullte…

RNA binding as an emerging regulatory dimension in the type I IFN response

Iselin et al. explore how the type I IFN response regulates RNA-binding activity using RNA-interactome capture and extend the RIC protocol to assess the role of phosphorylation in this process....

cell.com
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She also discovered a phosphosite in MATR3 that regulates its affinity for RNA after interferon stimulation 🤯
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This is a collaboration with Shabaz Mohammed and we report an approach to map phosphosites and define their influence in RNA-binding 🏆
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Delighted to collaborate with Juana Diez on this exciting study. Her team reveals that coronaviruses reprogram the cellular tRNA pool to optimise viral gene expression 🤯🍾🥂🥳🥳 nature.com/articles/s41467-0…

Coronaviruses reprogram the tRNA epitranscriptome to favor viral protein expression

Nature Communications - Coronaviruses use suboptimal codons yet efficiently translate proteins. Here, the authors show that SARS-CoV-2 and HCoV-OC43 infections reprogram four host tRNA...

nature.com
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Happy to contribute to this awesome work led by Ben Davis and Shabaz Mohammed on in situ mapping of the in cellulo cysteinome, which opens lots of exciting applications 🍾🍾🎉🎉 nature.com/articles/s41557-0…

Biocompatible ligand balancing in transition metal coordination enables benign in-cell protein...

Nature Chemistry - The perceived toxicity of organometallic reagents has limited their use in living systems. Now it has been shown that balancing flexible chelation with biocompatible ligands...

nature.com
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Alfredo Castello retweeted
Robertson@robertson_lab
Jan 7
With @keyuan1, @craig_macdonald & @Alf_Castello we've a computational PhD project available @CVRinfo AI-DRIVEN DISCOVERY OF VIRUS–HOST MOLECULAR INTERACTIONS gla.ac.uk/colleges/mvls/grad… at the Univ. of Glasgow. Deadline for applications is this Monday, 12th Jan 2026. Please apply!
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📃 New research, led by CVR & @Cambridge_Uni, shows bird flu viruses can withstand fever temperatures, making them a serious threat to humans. Scientists identified a key gene that explains this resilience, helping us better understand outbreak risks. gla.ac.uk/research/az/cvr/en…
Infographic comparing avian influenza A viruses and seasonal influenza A viruses, focusing on temperature adaptation. Left panel shows a duck representing avian influenza A viruses, which are adapted to higher temperatures (core temperature 40–42°C) and have temperature-resistant viral polymerase. Right panel shows a human torso representing seasonal influenza A viruses, adapted to cooler temperatures (upper respiratory tract ~33°C, lower respiratory tract ~37°C) with temperature-sensitive viral polymerase. Bottom panels depict two mice under different conditions: left shows that febrile temperature does not prevent severe disease from a temperature-resistant avian virus; right shows that febrile temperature protects against severe disease from a temperature-sensitive virus. Includes illustrations of viruses and polymerase structures.

ALT Infographic comparing avian influenza A viruses and seasonal influenza A viruses, focusing on temperature adaptation. Left panel shows a duck representing avian influenza A viruses, which are adapted to higher temperatures (core temperature 40–42°C) and have temperature-resistant viral polymerase. Right panel shows a human torso representing seasonal influenza A viruses, adapted to cooler temperatures (upper respiratory tract ~33°C, lower respiratory tract ~37°C) with temperature-sensitive viral polymerase. Bottom panels depict two mice under different conditions: left shows that febrile temperature does not prevent severe disease from a temperature-resistant avian virus; right shows that febrile temperature protects against severe disease from a temperature-sensitive virus. Includes illustrations of viruses and polymerase structures.

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Thrilled to contribute to Sam's Wilson’s new Science paper showing that avian flu polymerase, via its PB1 subunit, stays active at fever temperatures, unlike human flu polymerase. A key factor in their different pathology. @CVRinfo. 🤯🍾🥂🎉 science.org/doi/10.1126/scie…

Avian-origin influenza A viruses tolerate elevated pyrexic temperatures in mammals

Host body temperature can define a virus’s replicative profile—influenza A viruses (IAVs) adapted to 40° to 42°C in birds are less temperature sensitive in vitro compared with human isolates adapted...

science.org
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Alfredo Castello retweeted
Chris H. Hill@chillzaa
13 Nov 2025
🚨Attention prospective PhD students🚨 Are you interested in molecular mechanisms, RNA viruses, structural biology or biophysics? 🧬🦠🧪 We have THREE fully-funded PhD projects available for October 2026 entry: findaphd.com/phds/?Keywords=… Please RT and get in touch if interested

chris hill PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

findaphd.com
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Thrilled to announce the successful thesis viva defense of @Zdelaurent1 🦟 on her work defining the RNA interactome of mosquitoes. So proud for her successful defence! Well deserved! #MosquitoResearch #RNA #Doctorate.
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Want to do a PhD where mRNA translation meets innate immunity? 🔬 @RNAnomad and I are offering a one-of-a-kind project to decode how cell and virus battle to control the antiviral programme. Applications open—jump in! gla.ac.uk/postgraduate/docto…
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🚨🚨🚨 Thinking about establishing your own lab in virology? Don't miss this sponsorship opportunity. A thrilling research institute covering all aspects of virus research: from structure to clinics! 👍
MRC-Uni of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research@CVRinfo
11 Sep 2025
📢 Fellowship Sponsorship at the CVR 📆 Deadline: 14 Oct 25 We have an open sponsorship process and are committed to supporting a diverse, inclusive & well-supported community. We particularly welcome applicants from underrepresented backgrounds. gla.ac.uk/research/az/cvr/tr…
Two researchers in lab coats working in a lab, with text promoting fellowship sponsorship at the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research. Logos of MRC, University of Glasgow, and CVR are displayed.

ALT Two researchers in lab coats working in a lab, with text promoting fellowship sponsorship at the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research. Logos of MRC, University of Glasgow, and CVR are displayed.
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Very proud of Namah Raut, winner of the Journal of General Virology Talk Prize at the PGVN meeting 🎉🎉🎉🍾🥂
Castello Lab@castello_lab
11 Sep 2025
🎉 Congrats to Namah Raut for winning the Journal of General Virology Talk Prize at the Microbiology Society PGVN Meeting! Her talk revealed how Zika virus riboregulates p62 to modulate autophagy—shedding light on viral-host interplay. 👏🦠 #Virology #PGVN2025 #ZikaVirus
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Alfredo Castello retweeted
Slavov Laboratory@slavovLab
22 Aug 2025
The epitranscriptome formed by the growing number of modifications occurring within mRNA transcripts.
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Are you doing a PhD or research MSc in Virology? While you're in Glasgow, why not join a community of like-minded researchers at the first annual Postgraduate Virologists Network Meeting run by and for postgraduate research students in virology. postgradvirologistsnetwork.c…
The logo of the Postgraduate Virologists Network

ALT The logo of the Postgraduate Virologists Network
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Alfredo Castello retweeted
Robertson@robertson_lab
14 Aug 2025
Come work with us @CVRbioinfo👇
MRC-Uni of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research@CVRinfo
11 Aug 2025
📢 VACANCY | Computational Biologist/Bioinformatician 🦠 Join our brilliant team and contribute to the analysis of antiviral host-mechanisms and comparative virology datasets. 📆 Deadline: 25 August Info: bit.ly/CVR-WorkWithUs Ref 178592 Apply: gla.ac.uk/explore/jobs/
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🚨 New paper in @PLOSPathogens! 🚨 Together with @brennanlab, we mapped – for the first time – how tick RNA-binding proteins rewire during virus infection. 283 proteins changed activity, revealing key players in viral fitness. Read here: doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat…

Uukuniemi virus infection causes a pervasive remodelling of the RNA-binding proteome in tick cells

Author summary In host cells, RNA-binding proteins play essential roles in the life cycle of many viruses by influencing how viral RNA is processed, translated, replicated and assembled into virions....

journals.plos.org
Alexandra Wilson@Wilsonasaur
13 Aug 2025
Proud to announce my first publication is out in @PLOSPathogens ! Huge thanks to my co-first author Wael, @brennanlab, and @castello_lab. The paper explores how tick RNA-binding proteins respond to UUKV infection, you can find the paper here dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.…
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