Mihaela-Olivia Dobrica, PhD

Mihaela-Olivia Dobrica
Group: Viral Glycoproteins
Department: Viral Glycoproteins

Research Assistant

Biography

Mihaela-Olivia Dobrica is a researcher in the Institute of Biochemistry of the Romanian Academy. Mihaela-Olivia is currently working in Viral Glycoproteins in the Viral Glycoproteins.

Papers

Year
  • Dobrica MO, Varghese CS, Harris JM, Ferguson J, Magri A, Arnold R, Várnai C, Parish JL, McKeating JA.Dobrica MO et al . "CTCF regulates hepatitis B virus cccDNA chromatin topology", Journal of General Virology 1(105), (2024)
    doi: 10.1099/jgv.0.001939
    IF: 3.60AI: 0.93
  • Ng E, Dobrica MO, Harris JM, Wu Y, Tsukuda S, Wing PAC, Piazza P, Balfe P, Matthews PC, Ansari MA, McKeating JANg E et al . "An enrichment protocol and analysis pipeline for long read sequencing of the hepatitis B virus transcriptome", Journal of General Virology 5(104), (2023)
    doi: 10.1099/jgv.0.001856
    IF: 5.10AI: 1.05
  • Dobrica MO, Lazar C, Nichita N*Dobrica MO et al . "N-Glycosylation and N-Glycan Processing in HBV Biology and Pathogenesis", Cells 6(9), (2020)
    IF: 5.60
  • Dobrica Mihaela-Olivia, Catalin Lazar, Norica NichitaDobrica Mihaela-Olivia et al . "Production of Chimeric Hepatitis B Virus Surface Antigens in Mammalian Cells", Methods in Molecular Biology, Blaine Pfeifer and Andrew Hill (eds.). Springer Science. 2183(Vaccine Delivery Technology: Methods and Protocols), (2020)

Grants

EEA Grants (2014-2021): Next Generation Viral Hepatitis B and C vaccine development in plants and algae using advanced biotechnological tools; ‘’Dezvoltare de vaccinuri de ultima generatie anti Virusurile Hepatice B si C in plante si alge, utilizand metode biotehnologice avansate’’ 2019-2023
Acronym: SmartVac
Budget: 1.500.000 EUR
Project director: Norica Nichita

We aim to produce high yields of novel HBV/HCV antigens with superior immunogenic properties in plants and mammalian cells, based on innovative molecular design and establish in premiere an advanced biotechnological platform for production of best vaccine candidates antigens in algae.

Molecular mechanisms of hepatitis B virus egress 2018-2020
Acronym: HBVEGRESS
Budget: 100.000 Euro
Project director: Catalin Lazar

Considering the molecular features of the secretory autophagy, on one hand and the enhanced HBV production by degradation-independent autophagy, on the other hand, we hypothesized that HBV employs this peculiar form of autophagy for its own egress. We further proposed that the M protein plays a pivotal role in tilting the equilibrium between viral degradation and secretion towards the latter, due to the presence of the preS2 domain glycan.