BERKELEY, CA – A UC Berkeley microbiologist is challenging conventional perceptions of viruses, arguing they hold keys to understanding-adn combating-human disease. In a new video released as part of the campus’s ”101 in 101″ series, Professor Britt Glaunsinger explains the surprising efficiency and potential benefits of studying these ofen-feared pathogens.
Glaunsinger, a professor of plant and microbial biology and of molecular and cell biology, finds viruses “wonder[ful]” due to their ability to achieve meaningful impact with minimal genetic material. ”I love efficiency, and viruses are masters at efficiency,” she says. “The thing that captivated me initially about them was this idea that you can have an organism that has a million times less genetic facts than the host that it infects. So something like Ebola, such as – seven genes! Those seven genes together devastate the human body.”
While acknowledging the destructive potential of viruses like Ebola,Glaunsinger emphasizes that the majority of viruses inhabiting humans don’t cause illness. Studying these benign viruses,she explains,provides valuable insights into how our bodies function and how conditions like cancer and autoimmune diseases develop.
Her lab focuses on a herpes virus linked to cancer, investigating how viruses manipulate gene expression within cells. “We try to understand it both so that we can find ways of stopping viruses like that, but also so we can understand how our own cells respond to pathogenic stress that can lead to chronic diseases,” Glaunsinger states.
The 101-second video, part of a series challenging UC Berkeley experts to concisely explain their work, is available here. Additional “101 in 101” videos featuring Berkeley faculty can be found at the same link.
