Molecular Plant Virology Laboratory

Scott Schrage | University Communication / Journal of Virology

University of Nebraska - Lincoln | Nebraska Center for Virology | Plant Pathology Department | Research Opportunities

Our research is focused on the molecular mechanisms of plant-virus interactions. We are interested in the mechanism of antiviral immunity in plants and the mechanisms of pathogenicity in plant viruses. We are also interested in the identification and characterization of cellular genes that condition susceptibility to viruses. These projects combine genetic, genomic, and bioinformatic approaches to identify and characterize plant and viral genes as related to the establishment of infection and disease development.

We have identified the core genetic components of antiviral gene silencing against potyviruses and shown the effects of silencing suppressors in overcoming antiviral defense responses. Current projects address early events in the antiviral RNA silencing pathway, such as initiation and amplification.

Latest News

January 2024

Amany Gomaa, Eric Parperides and Hernan Garcia-Ruiz published, "Cell Fractionation and the Identification of Host Proteins Involved in Plant-Virus Interactions".

July 2023

Eric Parperides and Hernan Garcia-Ruiz published, "Induction and suppression of gene silencing in plants by nonviral microbes".

December 2023

Amany Gomaa and Hernan Garcia-Ruiz published, "Using cell fractionation and mass spectrometry to identify proteins important to plant virus interactions".

May 2023

Katie Tran was awarded a UCARE grant for the 2023-2024 schoolyear.

May 2023

Kathy LaTourrette defended her thesis and graduated with a PhD in Complex Biosystems.