[VIRA Roster] [VIRB Roster]

The Virology A and B Study Sections both address fundamental aspects of viral structure, genetics, infection and replication; cellular and host responses to viral and prion infections; and mechanisms of disease pathogenesis in plants, animals, and humans.  Both study sections have a range of expertise allowing them to address most topics in virology and viral pathogenesis.  In general, applications with a focus on biophysics aspects of virology or structural biology will be assigned to VIRA and those addressing viral immunity will be assigned to VIRB.  Appropriate studies relevant to biodefense are included.

Specific areas covered by VIRA and VIRB:

• Viruses, subviral agents, prions, and their infections of humans, animals, simple eukaryotes, and plants (with the exception of HIV and bacteriophages)
• Cellular and molecular biology of viral replication, including the roles and interactions of viral and host cell components, in areas such as:
  • Virus attachment to cells, entry, trafficking and uncoating
  • Gene expression and regulation, including structure, synthesis, processing and modification of RNA transcripts, proteins, and other viral macromolecules
  • Viral genome replication, including nucleic acid synthesis, transport, and integration
  • Virion and subviral particle assembly, trafficking, maturation, and egress
• Virus effects on host signal transduction, host gene expression, and cellular physiology
• Reconstitution and study of virus infection processes in cell-free systems
• Biochemical and biophysical properties of virions, sub-viral particles and other viral assemblies such as intracellular replication factories, integration complexes, etc.
• Viral variation, evolution and their mechanisms, including mutation and recombination (intra-virus, inter-virus, and virus-host)
• Virus co-infection effects, including: cooperative, dependent, competitive, and interfering interactions
• Factors influencing host cell permissivity or resistance, including host genetics, cell differentiation state, and cell culture conditions
• Viral-host cell interactions:
  • Cellular responses to viral infection including interferon induction, apoptosis and cytopathology
  • Virus effects on cellular production of cytokines and chemokines
  • Effects on cell growth and division
  • Effects on DNA synthesis and repair
  • Effects on RNA synthesis, stability, processing and transport
  • Effects on protein synthesis, modification and stability
• Interference and enhancement of virus infection and cellular control of virus replication, including, the effects of interferon and other cellular inhibitory responses (such as RNAi)
  
• Transformation and oncogenesis:
  • Detection of Tumor Viruses
  • Dysregulation of cell growth and cell death by viral products
  • The role of a virus in establishing a premalignant condition, i.e., immortalization by viral proteins
• Identification of new molecular targets relevant to viral pathogenesis:
  • Genomics and proteomics
  • Development of new approaches for identifying cellular changes relevant to pathogenic mechanisms
• Viral determinants of disease:
  • Virus diversity within a host
  • Virulence and attenuation
  • Transmission
  • Teratogenicity
  • Spread within the host
  • Tissue and cell tropism
  • Mechanisms of tissue injury
  • Viral mechanisms of immune evasion, including viral proteins that modify host responses
  • Animal models of disease pathogenesis
• Host response to virus infection:
  • Genetic and acquired determinants of host susceptibility
  • Hormonal effects
  • Mechanisms of viral clearance
  • Establishment of latency and persistence
  • Animal models of host responses
• Viral etiology of chronic disease:
  • Identification and detection of viruses associated with chronic disease
  • Validation of etiologic relationships
  • Animal models of virus-induced chronic disease

VIRA and VIRB have the following shared interests within the IDM IRG:

• With Drug Discovery and Mechanisms of Antimicrobial Resistance [DDR]:  If the focus of an application is drug development or resistance, or preclinical testing of an antiviral drug assignment could be to DDR.  If the focus is the identification of an antiviral drug target or use of a drug to study basic mechanisms of virus infection, assignment could be to VIRA or VIRB.
  
  
• With Clinical Research and Field Studies [CRFS]: Studies of viral disease involving human subjects could be assigned to CRFS.  Studies using animal models could be assigned to VIRA or VIRB.

VIRA and VIRB have the following shared interests outside the IDM IRG:

• With the Biological Chemistry and Macromolecular Biophysics [BCMB] IRG:  If the focus of an application is on studying chemistry or physics of a macromolecule without reference to its role in infection assignment could be to BCMB. If the focus of the study is to elucidate the role of the molecule in viral infection, it could be assigned to VIRA or VIRB.
  
  
• With the Cell Biology [CB] IRG:   Where a virus or virus component is used as a tool or a general example in a study of a cell process, with no consideration of relevance to infection, assignment could be to CB.  Where cell biology processes of a virus or a cell is being studied in relation to viral infection, assignment could be to VIRA or VIRB. 
  
  
• With the Genes, Genomes, and Genetics [GGG] IRG:  Applications dealing with the genomics, genetics, or population dynamics of viruses; or similar studies of host cells in relation to permissivity for, or resistance to, viral infection could be assigned to VIRA or VIRB.  Studies using a viral gene as a generalizeable example of a genetic process could be referred to GGG.
  
  
• With the Bioengineering Sciences and Technologies [BST] IRG: Applications to use existing viral gene delivery and expression vectors for other applied purposes could be assigned to BST or, as appropriate, to another relevant disease- or organ-specific IRG.  Proposals to design, construct, and test new virus gene delivery and expression vectors for the purpose of advancing understanding of the process of infection, or to use such vectors to study infection processes could be assigned to VIRA or VIRB.  Proposals to design, construct, and test new virus gene delivery and expression vectors for other purposes could be assigned to BST.  Also, applications that apply quantitative modeling and simulation to understand virus infection processes could be assigned to VIRA or VIRB.  Proposals to develop new approaches to quantitative modeling and simulation could be referred to BST.
  
  
• With the Immunology [IMM] IRG: Applications focused on viral induction of cytokines (e.g., interferon and chemokines), viral clearance, or viral proteins that modulate host immune responses could be assigned to VIRB.   Applications focused on other aspects of immunity could be assigned to IMM.
  
  
• With the AIDS and AIDS-Related Research [AARR] IRG:  Applications dealing with the replication or pathogenesis of viruses involved in AIDS-related opportunistic infections could be assigned to AARR, if the infection is not being studied in an AIDS context, assignment could be to VIRA or VIRB.  Studies that focus on viral infection could be assigned to VIRA or VIRB.
  
  
• With the Oncological Sciences [ONC] IRG:  Studies of cellular oncogenes (e.g., cSrc, cAbl, cJun) and translocations involving cellular oncogenes could be referred to ONC.  Studies that focus on virus replication, even if during viral-induced oncogenesis, could be assigned to VIRA or VIRB.
  
  
• With the Brain Disorders and Clinical Neuroscience [BDCN] IRG: Viral and prion diseases of the nervous system are a shared interest between BDCN and VIRA and VIRB.  Applications that focus on the infective agent could be assigned to VIRA or VIRB while those that focus on the manifestations in the nervous system could be assigned to BDCN.  Neurological manifestations of other infections could be referred to BDCN.
  
  
• With the Musculoskeletal, Oral, and Skin Sciences [MOSS], Cardiovascular Sciences [CVS], Digestive Sciences [DIG], Respiratory Sciences [RES], and Renal and Urological Sciences [RUS] IRGs: Viral infections of specific organs or tissues could be referred to VIRA or VIRB when the focus of the application is on the pathogen or pathogenic mechanisms.  When the focus of the study is the effect on the organ, referral could be to the organ system IRG.