Thomas L. German

We are interested in protein protein interactions relating to the replicaton, movement and transmission of viruses in the family Bunyaviridae. We use tomato spotted wilt tospovirus (TSWV) the type member of the plant infecting viruses in this large family of negative sense (ambisense) RNA viruses as a model. We are working on in vitro assays of replication and transcription, using the yeast two hybrid system and lambda expression libraries to assess protien protein interactions of viral gene products with each other and host proteins and looking at virus receptor interactions in thrips(the exclusive insect vector of tospoviruses) to attempt to clone and characterize the viral receptor present in the gut of thoses species that are competent to acquire virus. We are also trying to build viral exression vectors to determine the function of negative strand RNA virus gene products. We are devising ways to use this information to develop viral and or insect control strategies.