Gregory D. Ebel, ScD, Colorado State University

Our laboratory is broadly interested in arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus)-mosquito interactions. We take a multidisciplinary approach that combines classical virology, entomology, and molecular and computational biology. Ongoing research in my laboratory addresses how virus population biology influences the abilities of that virus to be transmitted by arthropod vectors, to cause disease in vertebrates and to emerge as significant health threats. Central concepts that guide our work include the notion that arthropod-borne viruses, like other RNA viruses, form genetically complex populations within individual hosts, and that natural selection powerfully shapes which of these variants are most fit in a given environment. A critical aspect of the fitness landscape of any virus is the host immune response. Therefore, we have taken a special interest in the mosquito RNA interference (RNAi) â?? based response to viruses and are currently working to understand how these responses shape virus populations and to explore their molecular origins. A newly funded initiative will also allow us to explore the possibility that mosquitoes could be used to assess the health of individuals residing in resource-poor regions of the world. In addition, we perform community service through West Nile virus surveillance testing for the cities of Fort Collins and Loveland, Colorado.