Principle Investigator:

Dr. Stefan Rothenburg

Assistant Professor for Virology and Immunology

Email: sr1hsv[at]ksu.edu

Projects

Importance of Host-Virus-Specific Interactions for Virus Host Range and Virulence

Evolution of the Host Innate Immune System and Interaction with Viruses

Characterization of Fish and Amphibian Antiviral eIF2α Kinases and their Viral Inhibitors

Research Interests

The host innate immune system plays an essential role in detecting invading viruses and in initiating and orchestrating antiviral responses. In order to establish productive infections, viruses have to effectively inhibit this host response. This leads to an evolutionary arms race between the host and the virus.

Our research focuses on the interaction between viruses with the immune system of their hosts. We are studying how viral nucleic acids are detected in vertebrates, which antiviral pathways are activated and how viral molecules interfere with these processes.

Major research objectives are the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms that determine virus host range and virulence. Viruses that are studied in our laboratory include Poxviruses, Influenza viruses, Herpesviruses, Iridoviruses, Ebola virus and Tumor viruses.

pictures (clockwise)

Spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) in Rock Creek Park, MD (Photo by Stefan Rothenburg).

HeLa cell transfected with nucleic acid sensor ZBP1 fused to RFP (red) and  TIA-1 fused to GFP (green) (Photo by Stefan Rothenburg).

Enveloped Iridovirus (photo by Gopal Murti (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN), kindly provided by V. Gregory Chinchar (University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS).

Principle Investigator in front of vernal breeding pool of Ambystoma maculatum in Rock Creek Park, MD (Photo by Stefan Rothenburg).

Congratulations to Josh Beyer for receiving the “Most Promising Student Award”, 2012, from the Division of Biology, Kansas State University and to Chen Peng for receiving a Graduate Student Summer Stipend from the Johnson Center for Basic Cancer Research