Biosketch

Prof. Quax studies the interaction between archaea and viruses. Archaea are ubiquitous microorganisms that are found in almost all habitats on earth, including extremely hot or saline environments. They are the evolutionary ancestors of eukaryotes. Unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying viral infection in these organisms is central to her research, that specifically focuses on processes occurring at the cell surface, such as viral entry and egress.  Quax found that several archaeal viruses use unique mechanisms, such as virion release through pyramidal structures that form on the cell surface. Only a hand-full of archaeal receptors for viral binding are identified. She is currently identifying novel surface receptors and studying how these determine viral host-range. In addition, she characterizes virus-host relationships and studies the impact of chronic infection on archaeal cells. Finally, her research focuses on the mechanisms that viruses use to avoid superinfection by another virus, and how these mechanisms influence the properties of the cell, such as cell shape and biofilm formation.  

International visibility, activities, prizes, scholarships etc. 

Prof. Quax’s work was awarded with the Research Career Development Award by the Hector Fellow Academy, the KNAW Early Career Award and the KNAW Beijerinck Premium (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences). Her PhD thesis was awarded with the H.G.K. Westenbrink Prize from the Netherlands Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Louis Forest Prize for the best PhD in Life Sciences in Paris. She has received various (personal grants) including an ERC Starting Grant, a Vidi grant from the Dutch Research Council (NOW), a Young Investigator Grant from the Human Frontiers in Sciences Program, a DFG grant (as part of the Priority Program on prokaryotic viruses), a grant from the Hector Fellow Academy and an Emmy Noether Grant (DFG). She is member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the International Society for Viruses of Microbes, Chair of the Gordon Conference on Archaea 2025 and coordinator of the MCDN ARCTECH.