Investigating conflicting host pressures and genetic robustness in arboviruses
We are interested in the genetic robustness of pathogenic viruses, particularly those that cycle between arthropod and vertebrate hosts. You can find out more about what we are currently doing in the associated pages. Thank you for your interest!
Nicole R. Sexton, PhD is an Assistant Professor at UNL in the School of Biological Sciences and the Nebraska Center for Virology.
Arboviruses are prevalent and persistent human health threats across the globe. Additionally, many arboviruses including Zika, chikungunya, Dengue, Japanese encephalitis, and Rift Valley fever viruses have emerged in new host species or geographical locations demonstrating an ability to adapt to new environments and host. However, what allows for the efficient spread of arboviruses despite high mutation rates, and what prevents some insect specific viruses from becoming infectious in vertebrates is not understood. Our research investigates mechanisms of efficient spread by arboviruses and virus traits associated with host preferences. In order to study these questions, our lab utilizes multi-tiered approaches to investigating host-virus interactions, including bioinformatics and computational comparisons, molecular biology, classical virology, mosquito infections, and high-throughput sequencing technologies.
The Sexton Lab at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln 