Mosquito-borne viruses such as Dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya remain significant public health challenges in the Americas. One reason vaccines have been elusive is that these pathogens are RNA viruses, which are inherently unstable and quickly degraded inside cells.
Traditionally, researchers study viruses by cloning their genes into cells to produce and analyze the proteins they encode. However, with RNA viruses, this approach is complicated by the fragility of RNA. To overcome this, scientists use infectious DNA clones that replicate the viral RNA genome. When introduced into cells, these clones allow the cells to produce viral RNA as if it were their own, ultimately generating the proteins needed to study the virus in detail.
This process is far from simple. The course Molecular Biology and Biotechnology of Mosquito-Borne Viruses in the Americas: Understanding and Using Virus Infectious Clones brings the latest technologies and experimental strategies to Latin America and the Caribbean, equipping researchers with cutting-edge tools to understand and combat ortho- and flaviviruses, diseases that burden tropical economies and livelihoods, and are expected to expand with climate change.
Congratulations to Dr. Juan Ludert for organizing this intensive academic activity held in CINVESTAV, Mexico, which brought our region closer to a cure for these neglected tropical diseases.
