A new study, by Dr. Michael Martynowycz from the Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute (HWI), and researchers at UCLA, and HHMI, reveals how viruses hijack cellular condensates to assemble and replicate. Using advanced cryogenic electron tomography (cryoET) and cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM), the team visualized mammalian reovirus factories, offering unprecedented insights into the molecular sociology of viral replication and assembly. The work in Nature Communications entitled “Molecular sociology of virus-induced cellular condensates supporting reovirus assembly and replication” provides a detailed map of virus-host interactions, including the role of host cellular machinery in the viral life cycle.
This research highlights the power of cutting-edge imaging techniques to reveal the molecular mechanisms of viral infection, a critical step in understanding and combating infectious diseases. By elucidating how viruses exploit cellular environments, this work advances HWI’s mission of structural biology excellence and fosters new opportunities for therapeutic discovery.
This collaborative effort involved teams from HWI, UCLA, and HHMI, with contributions from Dr. Tamir Gonen’s group and Dr. Hong Zhou’s lab. The findings emphasize the importance of structural biology in virology and its applications in disease understanding and drug design.