OSU scientist Stacy Benson says research conducted by him and other scientists indicates that certain double-stranded viruses may have evolved from a common ancestor and that such knowledge may lead to new types of anti-viral drugs. Benson, assistant professor of chemistry, recently collaborated with researchers from around the world at The Wistar Institute in Philadelphia to discover structural similarities among viruses that infect hosts from each of the three domains of life — plants, animals and other higher-order organisms, bacteria and archaea (microorganisms commonly found in extreme environments such as geysers and alkaline, acidic and salty waters). “Similar viral structures can indicate relationships and common ancestry that will help the medical industry develop new anti-viral drugs,” Benson says. “If we understand their structure then we can develop ways of disabling the virus and, thus, stop it from infecting other cells.” Because viruses live inside their hosts and adopt host traits, Research May Lead to New Anti-Viral Drugs he says examining structural similarities may be the only evidence left to indicate a genetic link. While serving on the Wistar team, Benson found a similarity between the major coat proteins of a bacterial and human virus. “This relationship (major coat proteins) expanded our research to begin looking at which other viruses are related. Current findings indicate that these are structurally related, and presumably evolutionarily related,” he says. Benson, who worked at Wistar as part of his post-doctoral research, is pursuing similar work at OSU. His research focuses on related viruses and the structure of human metabolic enzymes. The team’s research paper, “Does Common Architecture Reveal a Viral Lineage Spanning All Three Domains of Life?” appeared in the Dec. 3, 2004, issue of Molecular Cell. Alanna Bradley pStacy Benson, assistant professor of chemistry, recently collaborated with other researchers to discover structural similarities in viruses. He uses X-ray crystallography to continue the structural study of viral proteins and the mutations in human enzymes that lead to metabolic disorders. Jaco joined OSU in 1982 following postdoctoral training at the University of Michigan and twelve years on the faculty at Rice University. He has held research appointments at The Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute in Berkeley and the American Institute of Mathematics in Palo Alto. He served as executive director and CEO of the American Mathematical Society, living in Providence, RI, from 1988 to 1995. This next academic year, Jaco will take a sabbatical from OSU to accept the Gehring Distinguished Visiting Professorship at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, where he will conduct research in topology. The Gehring Chair has special meaning to Jaco, who was hired as executive director of the American Mathematical Society by Fred Gehring, who was chair of the board of trustees at the time. Janet Varnum Erika Contreras Erika Contreras Oklahoma State University
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