Special Seminar: Rachel Fearns

Prof Rachel Fearns - “Decision-making mechanisms of mononegavirus polymerases”

Prof. Fearn’s research focuses on the mechanisms of transcription and genome replication in non-segmented negative-strand RNA viruses. This group of viruses includes significant human pathogens, such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human metapneumovirus (HMPV), measles, mumps, parainfluenza viruses (PIV), as well as emerging and highly pathogenic viruses like Nipah, Marburg, and Ebolavirus. A notable feature of these viruses is that both transcription and genome replication are performed by the same RNA-dependent RNA polymerase encoded by the virus. Prof. Fearn’s primary research interest lies in uncovering how this enzyme decides between transcription and replication, and in deciphering the structure-function relationships of the viral polymerase and its associated proteins.