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University of
Valencia
Genetics
Department
I2SysBio
VSV aggregate by
TEM
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Virus
evolution (Sanjuán lab)
Viruses
Viruses are
excellent model systems for addressing basic
evolutionary questions because they evolve
fast in the lab, allowing us to do 'real time'
evolutionary analyses. Viral evolution is also
interesting per se, since it helps
explaining disease emergence, drug resistance,
immune escape, and other biomedically relevant
processes. Moreover, viral evolution can be
harnessed for applied research goals, such as
improving the efficacy of therapeutic viruses
used in cancer and for combating
drug-resistant bacteria. We have recently
worked with several viruses.
Vesicular stomatitis virus
(VSV), a negative-stranded
RNA virus belonging to the family Rhabdoviridae.
As most RNA viruses, it has a small genome, a
high per-base mutation rate, and low tolerance
to mutations. In the wild, VSV is a
concern for farmers in regions where it can
infect livestock. In the lab, it has been
extensively used as a tool for experimental
evolution and for pseudotyping and vaccine
production, among other applications. VSV also
exhibits a natural tropism towards cancer
cells, which has motivated research into its
use as an oncolytic agent. We have shown
that VSV virions can aggregate and be
co-transmitted to the same cells, forming
"collective infectious units".
Enteroviruses, a large genus of plus-strand
RNA viruses, including poliovirus,
coxsackieviruses, and rhinovirurses.
Enteroviruses can use lipid vesicles for
cell-to-cell transmission. This increases
levels of coinfection and promotes
virus-virus interactions.
SARS-CoV-2.
We have analyzed wastewaters by
RT-qPCR as a method for early and
cost-effective epidemiological
surveillance. We have also tested
different compounds for their
potential anti-viral activity.
Third, we are collaborating with
companies for testing virucidals. Finally,
in the lab, we use VSV pseudotypes
to investigate SARS-CoV-2 spike
properties under BSL-2 conditions.
Bacteriophages. We are investigating
phage-phage social-like interactions and how
these interactions could help us design
better phage cocktails for combating
multi-drug-resistant bacteria.
Universitat de València, 2023
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