Michael Veit

PD Dr. Michael Veit is an Associate Professor (Privatdozent) at the Institute of Virology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, where he heads the independent Research Group Veit – Cell Biology of Viral Infections. He is a faculty member of the Center for Infection Medicine and participates in the Berlin Equine Virus Lab (BEVL).

Education & Training

• Doctorate (Dr. rer. nat.) in Virology/Biochemistry – exact institution not stated in text.
• Post-doctoral qualification (Privatdozent) awarded by Freie Universität Berlin.

Research Focus
Veit’s laboratory investigates the molecular and cellular biology of enveloped RNA viruses, with emphasis on virus–host membrane interactions and post-translational lipid modifications (S-acylation/palmitoylation). His group combines reverse genetics, live-cell imaging, mass spectrometry and structural approaches to dissect how viral glycoproteins are modified, trafficked and assembled into infectious particles. Model pathogens include influenza A, B, C and D viruses, coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-2, MERS-like CoVs, PHEV, PDCoV), arteriviruses (PRRSV, EAV), alphaviruses (Getah, CHIKV-like), and other emerging zoonotic agents.

Publication Trends
From 2020 to 2025 Veit has published >30 high-impact articles that cluster around four major themes: (i) coronavirus surveillance and zoonotic risk assessment, (ii) mechanistic dissection of protein acylation in influenza and arteriviruses, (iii) structure-function analysis of viral entry receptors (ACE2, LDLR), and (iv) development of reverse-genetic tools and reporter viruses for antiviral screening.

Grants & Collaborative Networks

• Ongoing third-party funded projects coordinated by Veit are not explicitly listed in the text, but the continuous publication output and mention of “Current Collaborations” imply active grant support.
• He collaborates closely with other FU Berlin groups (Osterrieder, Kaufer, Azab) and international partners on coronavirus and influenza consortia.

Laboratory & Teams
The Research Group Veit comprises post-docs, PhD students and technicians working in BSL-2 and BSL-3 facilities at the Institute of Virology. Core platforms include confocal & FLIM microscopy, quantitative proteomics, and reverse-genetics suites for segmented RNA viruses.