Hector RCD Awardee since 2020
Prof. Dr. Tessa QuaxProf. Dr. Tessa Quax
Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen
Tessa Quax is Associate Professor at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen.
Her research focusses on the interaction between viruses and archaea. Archaea are ubiquitous microorganisms that can be found in many environments, including those with extreme temperatures or salinities. Specifically, she is interested in the molecular mechanisms that viruses use to enter and egress from archaeal cells isolated from salt lakes. She aims to gain insight into viral diversity, viral impact on evolution and the arms race between viruses and cells.
Tessa Quax was previously awarded the EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowship and the Marie-Curie Individual Fellowship. She has also received an ERC Starting Grant for her project "Archaeal Virology: unraveling the mechanisms of interviral warfare (ARCVIR)". Her PhD thesis was awarded with the Louis Forest prize from the Chancellerie des Universités de Paris, and the Westenbrink prize of the NVBMB. She is Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the International Society for Viruses of Microbes and Spokesperson of the Special Group “Viruses of Microbes” from the German Microbiology Society (VAAM).
