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George Rohrmann
Professor, Microbiology
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RESEARCH:
Baculoviruses are a group of occluded insect viruses that have received considerable attention because of their potential for application in insect control programs and their widespread use as expression vectors. They encode a unique RNA polymerase that expresses several late genes at some of the highest levels reported for eukaryotic systems. We are focusing on two main areas of baculovirus molecular biology: the characterization of DNA sequences and gene products involved in baculovirus genome replication and processing, and the characterization of baculovirus envelope proteins that are required for viral entry into cells. We have identified a baculovirus-encoded protein complex composed of a nuclease and single strand DNA binding protein that may be involved in DNA recombination. We have also identified a family of envelope fusion proteins shared between baculoviruses and a group of insect retroviruses and we are investigating their function and evolution.