The current project of the lab is to solve the crystal structure of the phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase. Phosphatidyl inositol phosphates (PIPs) are universal markers of intracellular membranes. PI(4)P is the single most abundant mono phosphoinositide that defines the membranes of the Golgi and TGN. Notably, the replication of several RNA viruses, mainly the Hepatitis C virus (HCV), depends on PI(4)P. The goal of this project is to get molecular insight in the PI(4)P biosynthesis that takes place at intracellular membranes of all eucaryotic organisms. The structural data will improve our understanding of the architecture of PI(4)Ks and hopefully will explain how specificity is achieved by this enzyme. The crystal structure will be also used to improve current and design new specific inhibitors to combat viruses that hijack PI4Ks during their life cycle.