Our Research
In the Anthony lab, we study viruses of wildlife. We study their diversity and distribution in nature (viral discovery), identify the viruses that are hazardous to humans and other species (viral characterization), and study the evolution of viral traits that influence the potential for spillover and disease emergence (viral evolution). We focus on viruses with profound significance for human disease, including coronaviruses, ebolaviruses, and paramyxoviruses, and use a combination of observational and experimental studies to
better understand the ecological and evolutionary forces that shape viral genomes and the risk they pose to humans.
1. Virus Discovery
Viruses are the most abundant biological entity on our planet. However, our understanding of the diversity and distribution of viruses in nature is extremely poor. Our group works to discover and describe new viruses in wildlife like bats and primates, looking for novel viruses in families that pose a risk to humans, such as coronaviruses, paramyxoviruses, and filoviruses.
2. Virus Characterization
Describing the ‘pre-emergent’ diversity of viruses circulating in bats, rodents, and other high-risk wildlife taxa is a critical component of pandemic prevention. However, finding an unknown virus, or viral sequence, in wildlife does not reveal whether it has zoonotic or pandemic potential. One way to make this link is to use experimental and computational approaches to explore the compatibility of wildlife viruses for human infection. In the Anthony Lab, we work to characterize high-risk traits and ‘rank’ viruses based on their abiity to (i) enter human cells, (ii) utilize cellular resources (i.e., replicate efficiently), and (iii) avoid or suppress host innate immunity.
3. Virus Evolution
Evolutionary mechanisms underly the formation and maintenance of all genetic diversity. In the Anthony Lab, we are interested in the evolution of virus and host traits that increase or decrease the potential for spillover and emergence. We study mechanisms like recombination in coronaviruses and try to understand the genetic and ecological drivers that contribute to the evolution of new strains.