? Then, how do they assemble themselves and exit the host cells?"
Researchers also will probe how antibodies bind to the viruses.
"Using structural information, we can figure out how the antibodies work and which sites they specifically bind to on the outside of the viruses, and those findings may lead to better vaccines and antiviral drugs and a better understanding of how the viruses infect host cells," Kuhn said.
A portion of the new research will be in a modern lab for virus analysis in the Wayne T. and Mary T. Hockmeyer Hall of Structural Biology, which is expected to open by the end of the year.
The lab is located on the first floor of the new $32.9 million, 65,690-square-foot Hockmeyer building, home to Purdue's Markey Center for Structural Biology research group. Hockmeyer Hall is adjacent to Discovery Park at Harrison Street and Martin Jischke Drive and is named for Wayne T. Hockmeyer and his wife, Mary, who provided $5.3 million toward its construction.
The research is an extension of previous work that began in 2002 to establish a comprehensive facility for viral structure and functional studies.
Writer: Emil Venere, 765-494-4709, email@example.com
Sources: Richard J. Kuhn, 765-494-1164, firstname.lastname@example.org
Michael Rossmann, 765-494-4911, email@example.com
Wen Jiang, 765-496-8436, firstname.lastname@example.org