Virology

Lewis Thomas wasn’t exaggerating when saying, “We live in a dancing matrix of viruses; they dart, rather like bees, from organism to organism, from plant to insect to mammal to me and back again”. That impressive ‘dancing matrix’ includes numerous headline-grabbing pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2, Ebola virus, influenza virus, mpox, dengue virus, HIV, etc.

The goal of MIP virologists is to tame this dancing matrix of viral pathogens and understand mechanisms of viral transmission, replication, pathogenesis and ecology in order to improve viral diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Their research focuses on understanding numerous viruses, including a variety of flaviviruses (e.g. dengue virus, West Nile virus), HIV, rotaviruses, Rift Valley fever virus, bluetongue virus, influenza viruses and coronaviruses.

MIP virologists use molecular, biochemical, pathology, computational, and vector biology tools to probe the mysteries of viruses in human, animal and vector systems. Cutting-edge facilities support this research, including metabolomics, proteomics, genomics, and bioinformatics technologies as well as extensive Biosafety Level 3 laboratories, insectaries, and animal facilities.

Virology research in MIP is anchored by the Center for Vector Borne and Infectious Diseases (CVID) and close proximity to the CDC Vector-Borne Disease Branch, providing opportunities for significant interactions and collaborations.