Kistler Group: Viral Replication and Transcription
A potential Achilles heel for RNA viruses is their unique RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RDRPs).
Amy Kistler and her group are building tools to systematically analyze new and novel viruses, including replicon-based assays aimed at identifying host factors; small-molecule inhibitors as antiviral therapeutics; and metagenomic approaches to identify emerging viruses in animal vectors.
The Kistler Group combines viral genomics and synthetic biology to detect and analyze known and emerging viral pathogens and has built metagenomic workflows to investigate the microbial cargo of vectors of emerging infectious diseases.
Our immediate research involves applying the tools we develop for biochemical isolation and characterization of viral replication/transcription complexes and the development of viral replicons to interrogate the host factors required for viral replication via small-molecule and CRISPR screening.
