As Lifeng moves on to the next step in his career, we reflect on his incredible impact on Bally Lab. A dedicated virologist, Lifeng has significantly contributed to our research and fostered a collaborative spirit. He has been a mentor and friend, enriching our environment with his knowledge and enthusiasm.
Lifeng joined the lab just after defending his PhD in the group of Gerald McInerney at Karolinska Institute in May 2019, in the field of infection biology. His PhD project focused on alphaviruses and understanding their role in the modulation of cytoplasmic RNA granules and the PI3K/AKT pathway during infection. Over the course of his PhD, he gained experience in cell and microbiology approaches, particularly performing plaque assays and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and learning how to work in BSL3 laboratory settings.
In September 2019, he joined our group as a postdoctoral fellow and focused on investigating the roles of the host protein apolipoprotein E during Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1) infection. To deeply understand the mechanisms that regulate HSV-1 infection in the presence of apolipoprotein E, Lifeng used both cell-based assays and biophysical approaches in collaboration with his biophysicist colleagues. Despite being one of the hardcore biologists in the group at that time, his determination to quickly learn advanced biophysical approaches such as Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) and total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy is an example of his curiosity-driven attitude. Moreover, he designed and developed new cell lines for his main project. His expertise in infection experiments and working with cells was also instrumental to other projects in the lab.
We are proud that his study “Recruitment of apolipoprotein E facilitates Herpes simplex virus 1 attachment and release” was recently published in the journal NPJ viruses. The study is a beautiful example of how single-particle studies widely used in our lab can complement fundamental studies in virology and provide new mechanistic insights into complex biological processes.
In January 2025, Lifeng embarked on the next chapter of his career in the group of Gisa Gerold at the Institute of Virology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria, where he will continue his interest in virus – host interactions and mechanisms with the application of omics-based techniques (e.g., transcriptomics and proteomics) and the advanced pre-clinical models (e.g., explant and organoid culture models). We are confident that he will continue to gain fruitful achievements there in the upcoming years.
His contributions to the lab have left a lasting legacy, and his departure is bittersweet. We will miss his expertise and cheerful presence.
We wish you all the very best, Lifeng!
