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All Posts By

Kristian Andersen

holmes nature commentaryPublications

Pandemics: Focus on surveillance

Over the past 15 years, outbreaks caused by viruses such as Ebola, SARS, and Zika have cost governments billions of US dollars. Combined with a perception among scientists, health workers and citizens that responses to outbreaks have been inadequate, this has fueled what seems like a compelling idea. Namely, that if researchers can identify the next pandemic virus before the…
June 11, 2018
Cell abstractPublications

Malaria paper in Cell

Hereditary xerocytosis is thought to be a rare genetic condition characterized by red blood cell (RBC) dehydration with mild hemolysis. RBC dehydration is linked to reduced Plasmodium infection in vitro; however, the role of RBC dehydration in protection against malaria in vivo is unknown. Most cases of hereditary xerocytosis are associated with gain-of-function mutations in PIEZO1, a mechanically activated ion channel. We…
April 12, 2018
Cell abstractPublications

Zika genomics commentary in Cell

The emergence and spread of Zika virus in the Americas continues to challenge our disease surveillance systems. Virus genome sequencing during the epidemic uncovered the timescale of Zika virus transmission and spread. Yet, we are only beginning to explore how genomics can enhance our responses to emerging viruses. Together with our colleagues Nuno Faria and Oliver Pybus at the University…
March 12, 2018
cvisbPress Releases

CViSB established

Scripps Research scientists receive $15 million to study viral outbreak survivors. With a new $15 million grant, scientists at Scripps Research are gearing up for an in-depth study of survivors of viral outbreaks. The grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases will support the efforts of the Scripps Research-led Center for Viral Systems…
February 15, 2018
2017-Nature-celebrationPublications

Zika papers in Nature

In a series of papers in the journals Nature and Nature Protocols, we used Zika virus sequencing from patients and mosquitos to show how the virus has spread across South America and into Florida. This work was performed as a large (huge!) collaboration of national and international institutions, which was made possible because of open science and open data. (more…)
May 25, 2017
2017 Andersen LabNews

Growing bigger

The laboratory is still growing steadily. Mark joined us in February coming from Columbia in New York, where he did a short postdoc after having completed his PhD in Belgium. Glenn will officially join us as a graduate student in June, after having worked on multiple projects with us for a while. He's been running the SRTI main lab for…
May 19, 2017
Cell abstractPublications

Ebola paper in Cell

In a recent study published in Cell together with colleagues from UMass Worcester and the Broad, we show how a single mutation that occurred during the 2013-2016 Ebola virus disease epidemic in West Africa increased the ability of the virus to infect human cells. The mutation occurred in the Ebola virus glycoprotein and is located in the receptor binding domain of…
November 22, 2016
Nature paperPublications

Review on Ebola evolution in Nature

The 2013-2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa was of unprecedented size and devastation, but also stands a landmark for infectious disease genomics. By sequencing virus genomes directly from patient samples, scientists are now able to investigate how viruses evolve, transmit between individuals, and spread across country borders during outbreaks, directly informing infection control. (more…)
October 12, 2016