My research interests focus broadly on virus-host relationships. Because viruses depend on specific hosts to propagate themselves, interactions between hosts and viruses are specific and primarily serve the needs of the virus. Early in this relationship, viruses must learn how to recognize proper hosts cells, bind specifically to these cells, and signal changes in the cell that allow the virus to breach the cell membrane. How these first events happen in specific viruses, and what facilitates these interactions are questions in which I am most interested.
Below are a few of my research interests. Please note that although our current facilities do not support most intact infectious virus work, we still have several elegant approaches to address important questions about viral infection strategies.
Are you a YCP student interested in doing research with me? Find out more HERE
How do hantavirus glycoproteins contribute to host infection?
Hantaviruses are rodent-born viruses that can be transmitted to humans and can result in two highly pathogenic diseases, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). Better understanding of how hantaviruses gain entry into host cells is crucial for the design of an effective treatment and/or vaccine. Hantaviruses contain two viral surface glycoproteins (GN and GC) that are necessary for infection and are thought to be involved in the first steps of viral infection. Students at York College are dissecting the roles these glycoproteins play in viral infection. Specifically, students have asked how manipulation of sugar attachments, specific structural domains within each protein, and environmental factors change infection of host cells.
Viral protein purification and antibody production
Understanding how viral proteins participate in viral entry could be critical to developing therapeutics and/or vaccines, which in many cases do not exist. To dothis, it becomes necessary to have appropriate tools to use in fully established molecular techniques. Using hantavirus glycoproteins, students are attempting to clone a tagged, soluble fragment of the protein and purify it. These proteins can be used to innoculate chickens to elicit an immune response and antibody production. These antibodies will be an important and necessary tool in order to further study the role these proteins have in viral entry.
Molecular detection of ranavirus in a vernal pond community in York, PA
Amphibian populations are declining globally and ranaviruses contribute significantly to mortality in amphibians. Due to the lethality of these viruses, effort has been put into quick and rapid detection of the virus. In collaboration with Dr. Brigette Hagerty, students are developing and refining a rapid protocol to detect ranavirus in amphibian populations from a vernal pool in New Salem, PA. Objectives include determining whether differences exist between species susceptibility to the virus and what effect environmental conditions play in this infection. In addition to continuing this research, future research could include testing water samples from the environment.
Other student-developed research ideas!
Do you have an idea for a research project involving viruses? I love helping students develop a research plan or proposal that addresses something they are passionate about! Past and current students have proposed:
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Investigating canine parvovirus prevalence in shelter pitt bulls (research)
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Delineating differences between two ebola strain VP35 proteins and their effect on host cell immune response (research)
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Examining the protective effect of manuca honey against viral infection (proposal)
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Disruption of latent HIV-1 provirus in humanized mice with the CRISPR/Cas9 system (proposal)