Probing Plant Infections

Sometimes the pathogens that infect plants also affect people—through our pocketbooks. Which is why plant pathologist Erica Goss, a University of Florida professor with the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, spends a lot of time studying microbes that infect tomatoes, peppers and strawberries.

UF Team Identifies Novel Targets for COVID-19 Antivirals

A multidisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Florida is making progress in their search for targets that could be used for developing treatments for infections with COVID-19. The team posted a paper to bioRxiv reporting the identification of 53 novel genes and pathways that could become druggable targets for antiviral therapies for COVID-19 plus a broad array of coronavirus types.

Yunnan Orbivirus Found in Florida for First Time

A new study by UF researchers, which published in Microbiology Resource Announcements, documents that Yunnan orbivirus is now in North America too, after it was identified in a farmed white-tailed deer in Florida.

Experts Signal Warning Over Preparations for Future Outbreaks

With much of the country still in the grip of the coronavirus pandemic, there are questions about how prepared people really are for outbreaks like this. A University of Florida research professor believes as a country, America needs to change the way it prepares and responds to outbreaks. He’s afraid the U.S. may not be […]

Harnessing Genome Editing for COVID-19 Drug Discovery

A University of Florida research team is harnessing the power of genomic editing to illuminate druggable targets in human cells for the fight against COVID-19. By taking advantage of high-containment labs in UF’s Emerging Pathogens Institute—especially designed for studying highly contagious and virulent pathogens—the team is using CRISPR genome editing techniques to screen human cell […]

An Interest in Bat Viruses Led to UF Health Virologist’s Development of Coronavirus Test

The UF College of Public Health and Health Professions’ department of environmental and global health and the UF Emerging Pathogens Institute, are leading a joint, around-the-clock effort to better understand and track the coronavirus in health care and community settings. The effort involves numerous scientists, laboratory technicians and support staff working tirelessly behind the scenes […]