Virology
This Department conducts basic and applied research on arthropod-borne （arbo） viruses; such as Japanese encephalitis virus, dengue virus, Zika virus, chikungunya virus, severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome （SFTS） virus, and highly pathogenic viruses; filoviruses and novel coronaviruses.
Members
- Professor
- Kouichi Morita
- Associate Professor
- Yuki Takamatsu
- Visiting Researcher
- Mya Myat Ngwe Tun
- Assistant Professor
- Takeshi Nabeshima
- Assistant Professor
- Jean Claude Palma Balingit
- Visiting Professor
- Daisuke Hayasaka
- Visiting Professor
- Kenta Okamoto
- Visiting Researcher
- Toru Kubo
- Visiting Researcher
- Akira Yoshikawa
- Visiting Researcher
- Reo Uchida
- Assistant
- Tomomi Kurashige
- Assistant
- Kazumi Jodai
- Assistant
- Megumi Tsubota
- Assistant
- Yuri Aminaka
- Graduate Student
- Nguyen Thanh Vu
- Graduate Student
- Xu Qiang
- Graduate Student
- Ngan Nguyen Thi Thanh
- Graduate Student
- Xayavong Dalouny
- Graduate Student
- Kapandji Kasenga Merveille
- Graduate Student
- Nguyen Thanh Vu
- Undergraduate Student
- Mika Ueda
- Undergraduate Student
- Hiromu Osako
Activities
Intra-cellular dynamics analyses for highly pathogenic viruses
High-resolution microscopy （e.g. live cell imaging） is used to visualize the life cycle of viruses in infected cells and to elucidate the mechanisms of virus particle formation.
Molecular epidemiology of arboviruses
Molecular epidemiological analysis of dengue virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, chikungunya virus, novel coronaviruses and other viruses isolated in Asia and Africa to clarify virus migration and evolution to reveal viral factors related to the mechanism of disease severity and expansion.
Research on vaccine development using reverse genetics
We have developed DENV infectious clones and identified viral determinants by modifying various parts of the genes. We are currently developing genetically engineered viruses as candidates for live attenuated DENV vaccines by financial support of GHIT.
Research on therapeutic drugs/vaccines development using reverse genetics
By using reverse genetics, recombinant viruses are constructed to identify viral factors regulating viral proliferation in cells and viral pathogenicity in animals are comparatively analyzed to establish the basis for the development of new therapeutic agents and vaccines.
Development of rapid diagnostic assay for infectious diseases
We also aim to contribute to the improvement of public health in Asia and Africa through the construction of novel diagnostic methods for viral infections, such as PCR, LAMP, immunochromatography and ELISA.
Activities as a WHO Collaborating Center
The department is designated as a WHO Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Tropical Viral Diseases since 1993 and currently our department has been re-designated as a center for Tropical and Emerging Virus Diseases. The center has been collaborating with WHO in training WHO fellows from many developing countries and has deployed experts as WHO short-term consultants. From 2020 March, the laboratory is working as WHO Reference Centre for COVID-19.