Original story from The University of Osaka (Japan). Researchers have developed a simple and efficient system for understanding the functions of specific norovirus genes, providing new avenues for developing antivirals and vaccines. Norovirus is the leading cause of gastroenteritis and is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths every year. However, research progress into antiviral treatments and vaccines has been hindered by the absence of a robust ‘reverse genetics’ system. Now, a team at The University of Osaka (Japan) has successfully overcome this long-standing barrier to norovirus research, developing a simple and efficient research system for human norovirus. Reverse genetics systems allow the functions of genes to be determined by changing an individual gene and observing the result, creating what is known as a ‘recombinant’ virus. They are powerful tools for studying how viruses replicate and cause disease, and aid in the development of novel antiviral therapies and vaccines. The team at The University of Osaka applied virological techniques to a zebrafish model to create a novel reverse genetics system capable of generating infectious human noroviruses. The system they developed involves the direct injection of norovirus cDNA clones into zebrafish embryos, which is a very simple and efficient method to generate infectious noroviruses. The team demonstrated the utility of this system by generating genetically manipulated noroviruses, possessing specific mutations or tagged with ‘reporter genes’. How do flu viruses infect cells? New microscopy method captures complex ‘dance’ A new microscopy technique has revealed how flu viruses enter cells, which could revolutionize…
