Intrinsic Immunity

Lead Research Organisation: University of Glasgow
Department Name: UNLISTED

Abstract

Dr Chris Boutell, Lead Investigator, MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research (CVR), University of Glasgow
The modification of proteins regulates many important aspects of cell biology, including host immunity to infection. Viruses have therefore evolved strategies to utilise or suppress pathways that regulate protein modification to overcome host defences to infection, thereby enhancing their replication, spread, and disease burden. However, these key interactions remain largely undefined at a biochemical level. Work within this programme focuses on two pathways, namely ubiquitin and SUMO (Small Ubiquitin-like MOdifier), which we and others have shown to play an important role in the regulation of host immunity. Our aim is to define the activity of core enzymes that influence the outcome of infection, using herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) as a model DNA virus. These studies will reveal unique insight into the mechanisms that regulate host immunity during DNA virus infection, as well as uncovering fundamental principles that regulate other important areas of cell biology relevant to human disease, for example carcinogenesis. By understanding these principles we aim to develop new targeted approaches for future therapeutic intervention to treat viral infections pertinent to public health.

Technical Summary

The post-translational modification (PTM) of proteins by ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like (UBL) polypeptides regulates many fundamental aspects of cell biology, including multiple facets relating to host immunity. Viruses have therefore evolved mechanisms to utilise or suppress these PTM pathways to overcome host immune defence mechanisms during infection, thereby promoting their replication and spread. Understanding the biochemical interplay between viral and host factors which utilise these pathways will therefore lead to new insights into the regulation of host immunity, processes which restrict the replication of many clinically important viruses. This programme aims to define the biochemistry of key viral host-cell interactions that utilise ubiquitin and SUMO PTM pathways to influence the outcome of host immunity during herpesvirus infection, using HSV-1 as a model system. By defining the biochemistry of these interactions we aim to: significantly advance our understanding of the signalling mechanisms that mediate the cellular restriction of herpesviruses and the establishment of viral latency; uncover fundamental principles relating to the regulation of ubiquitin and SUMO ligases that mediate key aspects of cellular immunity during HSV-1 infection; develop methodologies suitable for the identification of viral ubiquitin ligase inhibitors using ICP0 as a model ligase.
This programme will add significant value to the MRC, CVR, and its associated research partners through the delivery of an interdisciplinary and internationally competitive programme of research. This programme will strengthen the study of ubiquitin and ubiquitin-related pathways within the CVR in other virus systems, including influenza A virus (IAV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), and selected arboviruses, through the dissemination of research reagents and expert knowledge. Our goal is to define the functional significance and host-cell regulation of these important PTM pathways during infection, thereby revealing fundamental insight into the biochemical mechanisms that influence the outcome of viral infection and pathogenesis

Publications

10 25 50

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Boutell C (2013) Regulation of alphaherpesvirus infections by the ICP0 family of proteins. in The Journal of general virology

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Busnadiego I (2014) Host and viral determinants of Mx2 antiretroviral activity. in Journal of virology

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Collados Rodríguez M (2020) The Fate of Speckled Protein 100 (Sp100) During Herpesviruses Infection. in Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology

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Collados Rodríguez M (2023) Novel Antiviral Molecules against Ebola Virus Infection. in International journal of molecular sciences

 
Description ASM Conference on Viral Manipulation of Nuclear Processes
Amount $1,000 (USD)
Organisation American Society for Microbiology (ASM) 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United States
Start 11/2014 
End 11/2014
 
Description ASM travel award to 2017 Viral manipulation of nuclear processes meeting
Amount $1,000 (USD)
Organisation American Society for Microbiology (ASM) 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United States
Start 12/2017 
End 12/2017
 
Description BBSRC DTP PhD studentship
Amount £10,000 (GBP)
Organisation Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2015 
End 10/2019
 
Description Development of a cost-effective airway cell culture system for influenza virus propagation and infection immuno-biology studies
Amount £134,500 (GBP)
Organisation AstraZeneca 
Department MedImmune
Sector Private
Country United Kingdom
Start 02/2019 
End 09/2022
 
Description IHW travel award (Dr Ashley Roberts)
Amount $800 (USD)
Organisation International Herpesvirus Workshop 
Sector Academic/University
Country Global
Start 06/2018 
End 07/2018
 
Description ISSF Univeristy of Glasgow polyomics funding scheme
Amount £5,000 (GBP)
Organisation University of Glasgow 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 11/2016 
 
Description King Abdulaziz University Scholarship scheme
Amount £100,000 (GBP)
Organisation King Abdulaziz University 
Sector Academic/University
Country Saudi Arabia
Start 09/2014 
End 10/2017
 
Description NIH Chromatin Control of Viral Infection
Amount $500 (USD)
Organisation National Institutes of Health (NIH) 
Sector Public
Country United States
Start 08/2014 
End 09/2014
 
Title Transgenic 3D raft culture studies 
Description 3D raft culture is becoming the go to model system for infectious disease research. However, this system has limitations with respect to genetic manipulation studies analysing the role of specific host factors in host immune regulation in response to virus infection. We are optimising cell lines amenable to transgenic manipulation studies and air liquid interface differentiation to generate 3D raft cultures amenable to infectious disease immuno-biology research. 
Type Of Material Model of mechanisms or symptoms - in vitro 
Year Produced 2017 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact Research ongoing 
 
Title in vitro SUMO biochemistry update 
Description The cloning, expression, and purification of various proteins implicated in the regulation of host SUMOylation. 
Type Of Material Model of mechanisms or symptoms - in vitro 
Year Produced 2016 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Conn KL, Wasson P, McFarlane S, Tong L, Brown JR, Grant KG, et al. Novel Role for Protein Inhibitor of Activated STAT 4 (PIAS4) in the Restriction of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 by the Cellular Intrinsic Antiviral Immune Response. Journal of virology. 2016;90(9):4807-26. doi: Brown JR, Conn KL, Wasson P, Charman M, Tong L, Grant K, et al. SUMO Ligase Protein Inhibitor of Activated STAT1 (PIAS1) Is a Constituent Promyelocytic Leukemia Nuclear Body Protein That Contributes to the Intrinsic Antiviral Immune Response to Herpes Simplex Virus 1. Journal of virology. 2016;90(13):5939-52. doi: 10.1128/JVI.00426-16. PubMed PMID: 27099310; PubMed Central PMCID: PMCPMC4907222. 
 
Title in vitro ubiquitin biochemsitry updated 
Description The cloning, expression, and purification of various proteins implicated in ubiquitin biochemistry. 
Type Of Material Model of mechanisms or symptoms - in vitro 
Year Produced 2016 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact 1. Lilley, C. E., M. S. Chaurushiya, C. Boutell, S. Landry, J. Suh, S. Panier, R. D. Everett, G. S. Stewart, D. Durocher, and M. D. Weitzman. 2010. A viral E3 ligase targets RNF8 and RNF168 to control histone ubiquitination and DNA damage responses. Embo J 29:943-55. 2. Morris, J. R., C. Boutell, M. Keppler, R. Densham, D. Weekes, A. Alamshah, L. Butler, Y. Galanty, L. Pangon, T. Kiuchi, T. Ng, and E. Solomon. 2009. The SUMO modification pathway is involved in the BRCA1 response to genotoxic stress. Nature 462:886-90. 3. Morris, J. R., L. Pangon, C. Boutell, T. Katagiri, N. H. Keep, and E. Solomon. 2006. Genetic analysis of BRCA1 ubiquitin ligase activity and its relationship to breast cancer susceptibility. Hum Mol Genet 15:599-606. 
 
Title shRNA lentiviral cell lines updated 2016 
Description Primary cell lines that have been transduced with lentiviral vectors expressing short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) to deplete components of the ubiquitin and SUMO conjugation pathways. 
Type Of Material Cell line 
Year Produced 2016 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Research ongoing. Conn KL, Wasson P, McFarlane S, Tong L, Brown JR, Grant KG, et al. Novel Role for Protein Inhibitor of Activated STAT 4 (PIAS4) in the Restriction of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 by the Cellular Intrinsic Antiviral Immune Response. Journal of virology. 2016;90(9):4807-26. doi: Brown JR, Conn KL, Wasson P, Charman M, Tong L, Grant K, et al. SUMO Ligase Protein Inhibitor of Activated STAT1 (PIAS1) Is a Constituent Promyelocytic Leukemia Nuclear Body Protein That Contributes to the Intrinsic Antiviral Immune Response to Herpes Simplex Virus 1. Journal of virology. 2016;90(13):5939-52. doi: 10.1128/JVI.00426-16. PubMed PMID: 27099310; PubMed Central PMCID: PMCPMC4907222. 
 
Title single genome labelling technologies to study virus host-cell interactions 
Description viral nucleic acid represents a major immune stimulus. However, visualization of viral nucleic acid upon entry to host cells in relation to cellular proteins which mediate immune signalling has been problematic. We have optimized an efficient methodology for labeling viral DNA that has enabled us to detect viral nucleic acid within cells 15 minutes post-infection. This technique will prove extremely valuable in the identification of cellular processes that directly contribute to regulation of host immunity to virus infection. 
Type Of Material Biological samples 
Year Produced 2017 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Alandijany T, Roberts APE, Conn KL, Loney C, McFarlane S, Orr A, et al. Distinct temporal roles for the promyelocytic leukaemia (PML) protein in the sequential regulation of intracellular host immunity to HSV-1 infection. PLoS pathogens. 2018;14(1):e1006769. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006769. PubMed PMID: 29309427; PubMed Central PMCID: PMCPMC5757968. 
 
Title Elevated temperature inhibits SARS-CoV2 replication in respiratory epithelium 
Description Transcriptome data sets of SARS-CoV2 infected respiratory epithelia (in vitro) 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2021 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Pandemic response, SARS-CoV2 research 
URL https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ena/browser/view/PRJEB41332?show=reads
 
Title Superinfection exclusion creates spatially distinct influenza virus populations 
Description Dataset supports publication in PLOS Biology named 'Superinfection exclusion creates spatially distinct influenza virus populations.' The dataset is c65GB in size. Please see the readme file for details and use the 'Request Data' button to be sent a link to download the files. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2022 
Provided To Others? Yes  
URL http://researchdata.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/1370
 
Title Temperature elevation synergises with and enhances the type-I IFN-mediated restriction of MPXV 
Description RNA-Seq data 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2024 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact ongoing; under review 
URL https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.29.560106v2
 
Title The SUMOylation pathway suppresses arbovirus replication in Aedes aegypti cells 
Description  
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2020 
Provided To Others? Yes  
URL http://researchdata.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/1084
 
Title Transcriptome data of HSV-1 infected HFt cells depleted of HIRA 
Description in vitro model of human fibroblast cells depleted of the histone H3.3 chaperone protein HIRA and left untreated, stimulated with interferon-beta (100IU/ml), or infected with HSV-1 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2019 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Manuscript accepted for publication 
URL https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ena/data/search?query=PRJEB27501
 
Description Analysing the role of Sp1 to mediate cGAS/IFI16 detection of HSV-1 genomes and induction of host innate immune defences 
Organisation University of Ulm
Country Germany 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Investigation into the role of the transcription factor Sp1 in the regulation and sensing of viral nucleic acid acid in response to HSV-1 infection and induction of host innate immune defences.
Collaborator Contribution Access to preliminary data on the role of Sp1 in the regulation of innate immunity in response to HIV infection.
Impact Multi-disciplinary: HIV, HSV-1, cell biology, host immunology
Start Year 2019
 
Description Astrazeneca research partnership 
Organisation AstraZeneca
Department Research and Development AstraZeneca
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Provision of academic support in the development of infectious disease research in the area of autophagy and respiratory disease
Collaborator Contribution Employment of a post-doctoral scientist to investigate autophagy and infectious respiratory disease
Impact no impact yet
Start Year 2017
 
Description CMV click labelling 
Organisation New York University
Department School of Medicine
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Provision of research reagents
Collaborator Contribution Manuscript in preparation
Impact ongoing
Start Year 2023
 
Description Defining the role of SUMOylation during arbovirus infection 
Organisation The Pirbright Institute
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Defining the biochemical activity of host SUMOylation enzymes expressed in Aedes aegepti.
Collaborator Contribution Cloning of cDNAs that express Aedes aegepti SUMOylation enzymes
Impact Research ongoing. Student selected for national presentation (microbiology society)
Start Year 2014
 
Description Identification of PML-NB host factors by LC-MSMS proteomics 
Organisation University of Pennsylvania
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Provision of materials and reagents for study
Collaborator Contribution Construction of cell lines and LC-MSMS analysis
Impact No outputs yet
Start Year 2017
 
Description Intrinsic immunity to Influenza A Virus 
Organisation University of Glasgow
Department MRC - University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Provision or reagents and research support to establish a role for intrinsic immunity against IAV.
Collaborator Contribution Provision or reagents and research support to establish a role for intrinsic immunity against IAV.
Impact We have identfied the TRIM protein 22 to play a role in the cellular restriction of IAV prior to the activation of innate immune signalling, thereby confirming a role for intrinsic immunity in the intracellular restriction of IAV. A manuscript is currently in preparation.
Start Year 2015
 
Description Investigating the role of the histone chaperone protein HIRA in the regulation of host innate immune defences to HSV-1 infection 
Organisation Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
Country United States 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution Investigation into the role of the H3.3 histone chaperone protein HIRA in the regulation of host innate immune defences in response to HSV-1 infection
Collaborator Contribution Provision of research reagents
Impact Manuscript accepted for publication
Start Year 2018
 
Description Investigating the role of the histone chaperone protein HIRA in the regulation of host innate immune defences to HSV-1 infection 
Organisation Ulster University
Department School of Biomedical Sciences
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Investigation into the role of the H3.3 histone chaperone protein HIRA in the regulation of host innate immune defences in response to HSV-1 infection
Collaborator Contribution Provision of research reagents
Impact Manuscript accepted for publication
Start Year 2018
 
Description MedImmune industrial student partnership 
Organisation AstraZeneca
Department MedImmune
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Investigating the role of intrinsic immunity to restrict the replication of live attenuated influenza viruses (LAIV) that are used as vaccines to protect against influenza virus infection in children. Me and my team provide research support to aid the training of MedImmune-UoG IPP student to investigate the role of intrinsic immunity to restrict LAIV replication and to establish a cost effective cell culture system to support IAV infection and immune-biology studies.
Collaborator Contribution Provision of research reagents (LAIV strains) and financial backing to underpin research studentship
Impact The initiation of this collaboration has led to the provisional contact with other industrial partners, for example BiogelX (https://www.biogelx.com), to establish a viable low cost cell culture system amenable to transgenic manipulation through CRISPR/CAS9 gene editing. Multi-disciplinary: industrial research, vaccine design, molecular virology, gene editing.
Start Year 2019
 
Description Mosquito invertebrate SUMO biology research 
Organisation University of Glasgow
Department MRC - University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Provision of material for mosquito SUMO biology research
Collaborator Contribution provision of vector species knowledge and expertise
Impact manuscript in preparation
Start Year 2016
 
Description Proteomic analysis of arbovirus infected invertebrate cells 
Organisation University of Dundee
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution provision of material for proteomic analysis; in vitro biochemical samples, infected invertebrate cells, infected mosquito salivary glands.
Collaborator Contribution LC-MSMS analysis
Impact manuscript in preparation
Start Year 2017
 
Description UKRI MPOX rapid response consortium 
Organisation The Pirbright Institute
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Rapid response to 2022 MPOX outbreak: Virus isolation, distribution to consortium partners, molecular characterisation, host-virus interactions, and host-cell immune responses to infection, metagenomic analysis
Collaborator Contribution epidemiology, genotyping, cross-species transmission, immune responses to infection, diagnostic assay
Impact preliminary results are being written up for publication
Start Year 2022
 
Description UKRI MPOX rapid response consortium 
Organisation University of Cambridge
Department Department of Pathology
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Rapid response to 2022 MPOX outbreak: Virus isolation, distribution to consortium partners, molecular characterisation, host-virus interactions, and host-cell immune responses to infection, metagenomic analysis
Collaborator Contribution epidemiology, genotyping, cross-species transmission, immune responses to infection, diagnostic assay
Impact preliminary results are being written up for publication
Start Year 2022
 
Description UKRI MPOX rapid response consortium 
Organisation University of Oxford
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Rapid response to 2022 MPOX outbreak: Virus isolation, distribution to consortium partners, molecular characterisation, host-virus interactions, and host-cell immune responses to infection, metagenomic analysis
Collaborator Contribution epidemiology, genotyping, cross-species transmission, immune responses to infection, diagnostic assay
Impact preliminary results are being written up for publication
Start Year 2022
 
Description UKRI MPOX rapid response consortium 
Organisation University of Surrey
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Rapid response to 2022 MPOX outbreak: Virus isolation, distribution to consortium partners, molecular characterisation, host-virus interactions, and host-cell immune responses to infection, metagenomic analysis
Collaborator Contribution epidemiology, genotyping, cross-species transmission, immune responses to infection, diagnostic assay
Impact preliminary results are being written up for publication
Start Year 2022
 
Description Visualisation of HSV-1 latency 
Organisation University of Virginia (UVa)
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Provision of research reagents and technical knowledge to the visualisation of latent viral genomes
Collaborator Contribution Provision of neuronal culture systems for studying HSV-1 viral latency and reactivation in vitro
Impact No outputs yet
Start Year 2017
 
Description X-ray crystallography studies of the purified ICP0 RING-finger domains from HSV-1 and VZV 
Organisation York University Toronto
Country Canada 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Provision of reagents for the purification of RING-domain containing viral E3 ubiquitin ligases expressed during HSV-1 and VZV infection
Collaborator Contribution Purification of recombinant proteins and X-ray crystallography trials
Impact none
Start Year 2015
 
Description 04/08/2021 - CVR Flagship Video - Massimo Palmarini 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact CVR's main publicity video used for all advertising of CVR things
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://youtu.be/KEzc2RDGThA
 
Description 23/11/2020 Zeiss Blog 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Stephanie Rainey, Joanne Haney, Carol Leitch and Mila Rodriguez all wrote for a blog partnered and hosted my Zeiss Microscopy about how we use light microscopy at the CVR to study viruses.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://blogs.zeiss.com/microscopy/en/virology-light-microscopy/
 
Description 23rd Glasgow Virology Workshop 2018 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact One day scientific symposium to promote awareness about virology research and its impact in our society. over 150 delegates attended with local, national, and international speakers.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018
URL https://www.gla.ac.uk/researchinstitutes/iii/cvr/events/headline_430158_en.html
 
Description 24th Annual Glasgow Virology Workshop June 2019 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The CVR hosted the 24th Glasgow Virology Workshop (GVW) on Friday VV June 2019 (Sir Charles Wilson Building, University of Glasgow). This annual one-day meeting aims to communicate the latest innovative science in the world of virology, and to promote interactions between scientists and a variety of stakeholders throughout the world. This meeting is an informal and welcoming one day event comprising a mix of presentations from both external and internal speakers, along with networking sessions. It is rounded off by an evening ceilidh to provide attendees with a more relaxed opportunity to engage with one another. The annual event attracts a wide age range of attendees (from undergraduate students through to healthcare professionals, members of the biotech industry to retired professors), providing an ideal opportunity to catch up with former colleagues, establish new collaborations, and listen to truly inspirational science.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://www.facebook.com/centreforvirusresearch/
 
Description 3 minute thesis presentation 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact Open forum to discuss research activities in a layman language to engage public sector in scientific research
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Annual PCR Workshops September 2019 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Each year the CVR runs a series of 6 individual workshops for Higher Biology school pupils. Around 100 pupils attend each workshop and travel from schools throughout Scotland. The workshops are fully booked each year and run in collaboration with the Glasgow Science Centre and supported by Thermo Fisher. The workshops require the support of around 15-20 volunteers from the CVR and wider MVLS each year. The workshops provide pupils with experience and knowledge they would not normally receive until attending university.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://www.facebook.com/centreforvirusresearch/
 
Description Bioengineering PodCast 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Interview discussing the application of bioengineering to study respiratory diseases and SARS-CoV2
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description CVR Coffee Mornings 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact We have been holding monthly coffee mornings for staff and students within our social space since 2017 to offer an informal opportunity for people working across the centre to meet and network. The events are regularly attended by 50-70 people each time with attendance continuing to grow. Staff and students have provided positive feedback about this opportunity to meet with one another and make use of it as a chance to discuss work related matters or simply to make new connections.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://www.facebook.com/centreforvirusresearch/
 
Description CVR Stoker Award 2019 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Every year, CVR early career scientists nominate and vote for an established, outstanding virologist who has made a significant contribution to their field. In 2019 CVR early career researchers presented the award to Professor Ann Palmenberg - plus podcast
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Career Day 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact 50 pupils; "build a virus" activity and open discussion on STEM careers
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Contagious Thinking podcast S2 ep6: Robert Gifford 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Dr. Robert Gifford, CVR's resident evolutionary virologist and senior research fellow. Rob's lab combines sequence data and software development to explore virus genomics and coevolution of viruses and their hosts. He applies virus genomics to help and guide treatment of HCV-infected patients; support genomic surveillance and outbreak response for bluetongue and rabies; and explore the diversity of endogenous viral elements in published genome sequence data, just to name a few of his projects. Listen to him tell us how he became interested in this paleovirology by starting out working on endogenous retroviruses at Imperial College long before the NGS metagenomics techniques come about.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://cvrblog.myportfolio.com/podcast-s2-ep6-robert-j-gifford
 
Description Contagious Thinking podcast S2 ep7: Marlene Dreux 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact A podcast with Dr Marlene Dreux, Team Leader in immunovirology at the Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (CIRI) in Lyon, France.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://cvrblog.myportfolio.com/podcast-s2-ep7-marlene-dreux
 
Description Contagious Thinking podcast S3 ep10: Laura McCoy 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact In this episode of Contagious Thinking Connor and Elihu are talking with Dr Laura McCoy about why study and continue to study broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV, and the role of B cell biology in HIV infection and vaccine responses. She also discusses her career so far, and gives advice to PhD and early career researchers.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://cvrblog.myportfolio.com/podcast-s3-ep10-laura-mccoy
 
Description Contagious Thinking podcast S3 ep11: Connor Bamford 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact In this episode, Jack Hirst and Andrew Burns (on his podcast debut) are joined by Contagious Thinking veteran and founder Connor Bamford, who is crossing to other side and telling us about his own research on a peculiar immune protein that seems to make Hepatitis C infections worse rather than better.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://cvrblog.myportfolio.com/podcast-s3-ep11-connor-bamford
 
Description Contagious Thinking podcast S3 ep12: Diane Griffiths 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact In this episode we're extremely lucky to be welcoming Professor Diane Griffin, from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg school of public health who is also the vice-president of the US National Academy of Sciences (www.nasonline.org/member-directoryers/3007695.html).

Diane - who is an MD/PhD - is a pioneering expert in how viruses cause disease, focusing on those viruses that infect your brain (like measles), and viruses spread by insects (like alphaviruses, such as Sindbis and chikunungya viruses).

In this episode, CVR PhD student Arthur Wickenhagen and postdoc Connor Bamford, chat with Diane about her inspiring career in virology, why she's so fascinated with the brain and insect viruses, and the worrying rise in measles across the world.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://cvrblog.myportfolio.com/podcast-s3-ep11-diane-griffin
 
Description Contagious Thinking podcast S3 ep1: Juan Fontana 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact This is the third season of the refreshing virology podcast. In this episode, we're starting off with Dr Juan Fontana, a structural biologist from the University of Leeds. Juan speaks with fellow postdoc Connor Bamford, about his career so far in Virology, how cryoEM works, and how he uses this technique to study deadly human viruses.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://cvrblog.myportfolio.com/podcast-s3-ep1-juan-fontana
 
Description Contagious Thinking podcast S3 ep3: Paul Griffiths 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact In this episode we're welcoming Professor Paul Griffiths, from the Royal Free hospital and University College London. Professor Griffiths - who is a clinician by training - came to the CVR in Glasgow earlier this year to give a seminar.

Connor Bamford caught up with Paul in this episode and discuss his favourite virus, human cytomegalovirus (CMV), the road to making and testing vaccines against this very important virus, and his surprising side career as an author of factual and fictional science-inspired books.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://cvrblog.myportfolio.com/podcast-s3-ep3-paul-griffiths
 
Description Contagious Thinking podcast S3 ep4: Pat Nuttall 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Season 3 Episode 3: This week Jack and Douglas are talking ticks with Professor Pat Nuttall, where we hear about how changing conditions are increasing the risk of tick-borne viruses and how these viruses benefit from the peculiar properties of tick saliva.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://cvrblog.myportfolio.com/podcast-s2-ep4-pat-nuttall
 
Description Contagious Thinking podcast S3 ep5: Carolina Lopez 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact In this special episode for our Spanish speakers listeners, Mila and Elihu are talking with Carolina Lopez about how viruses interact with the immune system during infection. As viruses copy their genomes, a large number of defective copies are made. Carolina studies the different forms of a virus, including those with regular and defective copies of their genome, that are present in an infection and how these different forms interact with the infected cell and influence its function.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://cvrblog.myportfolio.com/podcast-s3-ep5
 
Description Contagious Thinking podcast S3 ep6: Paul Lehner 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact In this episode of Contagious Thinking Jack and Arthur are talking with Professor Paul Lehner about HIV and silencing of these viruses by the newly discovered HUSH complex. Paul talks about his career so far and his research on HIV. He further explains how he and colleagues discovered the HUSH complex and its role in silencing viruses like HIV.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://cvrblog.myportfolio.com/podcast-s3-ep6-paul-lehner
 
Description Contagious Thinking podcast S3 ep7: Rachel Ulferts 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact In this episode, Dr Connor Bamford speaks with Dr Rachel Ulferts from the Francis Crick Institute in London after she came to Glasgow recently to present her fascinating work.

Dr Ulferts is currently a postdoc in the lab of Dr Rupert Beale at the Crick where she works on influenza virus and a cell process known as autophagy - or 'self eating'.

Previously Rachel worked on a number of RNA viruses, like coronaviruses or picornaviruses in labs across Europe, including Northern Ireland and The Netherlands, before coming back to the UK to work at The University of Cambridge and then onto London.

In this episode Connor talks with Rachel about her work on autophagy, her interest in fundamental virology, and her exciting plans for the future.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://cvrblog.myportfolio.com/podcast-s3-ep7-rachel-ulferts
 
Description Contagious Thinking podcast: Ann Palmenberg 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Professor Ann Palmenberg from the University of Wisconsin-Madison talking to us about her journey through academia as a virologist, her views on vaccines and women in science.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://cvrblog.myportfolio.com/2019-stoker-award-winner-prof-ann-palmenberg
 
Description Contagious Thinking podcast: Siyuan Hu: A Tale of One City 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact In a very special ad hoc episode, we have the personal experience from the inside of the coronavirus outbreak. From mainland China in Wuhan City, fellow postdocs Elihu Araday and Rute Pinto talked with Siyuan Hu, a PhD student in the Professor Margaret Hosie's group, who is currently in Wuhan and living this outbreak from a different perspective.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://cvrblog.myportfolio.com/siyuan-hu-a-tale-of-one-city
 
Description February 2017 - Chris Boutell - BBC commentary 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Dr Chris Boutell provided guidance and information about herpes simplex virus for a short item about cold sores on Trust Me I'm a Doctor. The show aired on prime time BBC2 in February 2017. this was also shared on our social media channels to highlight the show to staff and students across the CVR. The post reached 1114 followers with likes and 2 shares on facebook along being shared with >200 followers on Twitter.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL https://www.facebook.com/centreforvirusresearch
 
Description February 2017 Trust me I'm a Doctor - Dr Chris Boutell 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact In September 2016 Dr Chris Boutell was approached by the BBC and asked to review content for a show that would air on BBC 2 called Trust me I'm a Doctor. The show contained a short segment on herpes virus and Dr Boutell was asked questions and provided commentary on content to ensure accuracy. The show aired on prime time television in February 2017.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL https://www.facebook.com/centreforvirusresearch
 
Description Glasgow Science Festival Science Sunday - June 2019 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact CVR researchers took a range of popular activities (build a virus, glovebox chamber game and Biolegomatics along to the Science Sunday event as part of the Glasgow Science Festival. 10 researchers from the CVR volunteered for the event and they estimated that they interacted with around 200 people over the course of the day. The activity was also supported by social media activity. MP Patrick Grady also made a point of visiting the stand to try an activity, take a photograph and tweet about the day. Stand visitors tend to have a keen interest in science but it is an opportunity for families to have a fun day out and learn something new.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://twitter.com/CVRinfo/with_replies
 
Description Glasgow Virology Workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact This annual one day meeting aims to encourage interactions between virologists within Scotland and across the UK. It is usually very well attended (over 200 delegates last year), with groups from Glasgow, Edinburgh, St. Andrews, Dundee, Leeds, as well as other universities from around the UK. We attract a diverse audience, including local biotechnology companies, professional peers, undergraduates, and post-graduate students.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013,2014,2015,2016,2017
URL http://www.gla.ac.uk/researchinstitutes/iii/cvr/events/headline_430158_en.html
 
Description Industry liaison 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact CVR lunch and learn events - one on Pneumacult 3D lung tissue models with StemCell Technologies and one on CRISPR with Merck.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Kelvingrove Museum Science Weekend 2014 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact We ran our 'Build a virus' and 'One Infection' activities - offering participants the opportunity to meet CVR scientists, learn about the structure of viruses and also key messages related to the transmission of viruses, and control measures including hygiene and vaccination.

Participants were asked to provide feedback on the activities to help us determine how to improve the activity in future. We have been asked to submit a proposal to run an activity during the Glasgow Science Festival in June 2015.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
 
Description MRC Festival of Science CVR visit 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact The CVR hosted a open day for Clydebank's Girl Guides to get a taste of what life as a scientist is like. There shall be a tour of the facilities and the opportunity to get hands on experience by trying some experiments in the labs. There were also discussions and fun games explaining biological concepts, such as vaccination.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description May 2019 - MRC Public Engagement Training Session Steve Cross 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact The MRC offered Public Engagement training from freelance consultant Steve Cross in May 2019. The session was offered to all MRC centres taking part in the MRC Festival of Medical Research across the UK. 12 CVR researchers including a mix of students and staff attended the session and provided positive feedback relating to their experience of the day.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Meet the Researcher Showcase 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact "build a virus" and "Kill the cancer" activities and open discussion on STEM careers
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Open day 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact PhD students and early career researchers within the School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM), the CVR, iii and BAHCM are invited to display posters that they have presented at recent national and international conferences. This event will expose our undergraduates to the breadth of research that takes place at Garscube in an informal setting. Presenters' contact details will be available to the students and the posters will remain on display for the week to maximize the opportunity for students to make contact with the researchers. If students identify young researchers whose work inspires them, we envisage that they might be encouraged to set up one-to-one meetings to learn more, to visit research labs and to explore the taster sessions and other INSPIRE-related activities that are offered by the SVM.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Outbreak: The Pub Quiz 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Join scientists from the Centre for Virus Research for some infectious fun at this pub quiz! Scientists will share their expertise and challenge your knowledge about the viruses hitting the headlines
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description PCR workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Since 2006, this activity has been delivered to more than 700 Scottish high school students. The teaching resources developed have been adopted by Learning Teaching Scotland to teach higher biology. Workshop has been praised in an HMIE report. Evaluation student feedback is very positive each year.

Our PCR workshop run in partnership with Glasgow Science Centre is a flagship/exemplar activity in high-school education. The PCR workshop has been cited by HMiE as an example of excellence. School pupils from all over Scotland travel to Glasgow to participate.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013,2014
 
Description PhD student Thamir Alandijany - Saudi International TV Live Interview 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact CVR PhD Student Thamir Alandijany gave a live interview on the Saudi television channel. We don't have a clip available but this was shared on Facebook and it has been included in our PEC report for 2018. Thamir was interviewed about his experience of completing a PhD in Scotland/UK.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://www.facebook.com/centreforvirusresearch/
 
Description Pint of Science talk 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Milagros Collados Rodriguez and Adam Fletcher gave a talk entitled 'A Virus at the Door' at the Pint of Science event in Glasgow
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Scientific consultant for BBC 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Scientific consultant for a BBC public engagement program explaining the cause of cold sores
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description Scout's Science Day - 2014 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact 200 local scouts and guides attended a day of science engagement at the University of Glasgow where they had the opportunity to take part in a range of activities. All attendees took part in our 'Build a Virus' activity and meet with CVR scientists. These interactions gave the attendees the opportunity to ask questions and also learn a little more about viruses, their structure, transmission and control through group discussion with individual researchers. The activity was supported by 8 CVR researchers, providing an excellent opportunity for individual public engagement training and development.

The local Scout and Guide leaders are keen to facilitate another event in 2015.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
 
Description Talk at Bearsden Primary School to P5 children 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Discussed how the nasal spray flu vaccine 'Flumist' is produced and why children need to be vaccinated more than once. Designed and carried out an activity to demonstrate, in basic terms, antigenic drift. This activity highlighted the fact that the virus can change to a degree that the vaccine is no longer effective, and a new vaccine is required to match that change.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Thamir Alandijany - Saudi International Television Interview - 23 May 2018 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact PhD student Thamir Alandijany was interviewed on the Saudi Arabia national TV channel - sharing his experience of working and completing his studies at the CVR. Thamir also talked about his recently published article on herpes virology and his experience of winning awards throughout his PhD. No link available.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description World of Work Day 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact 30 pupils; "build a virus" activity and open discussion on STEM careers
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description World of Work Day2 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact "build a virus" activity and open discussion on STEM careers
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023