Infection Medicine
Infection Medicine
Edinburgh Medical School
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Dr Samantha Griffiths

My current research utilises high-throughput screening strategies (siRNA gene knockdown, human miRNA and protein interactions) to systematically identify host factors and pathways influencing virus replication and determine their mechanism(s) of action.

Dr Samantha Griffiths

Senior Post-Doctoral Research Fellow

  • The Chancellors Building
  • 49 Little France Crescent
  • Edinburgh, EH16 4SB

Contact details

Research 

My current research utilises high-throughput screening strategies (siRNA gene knockdown, human miRNA and protein interactions) to systematically identify host factors and pathways influencing virus replication and determine their mechanism(s) of action. Specific projects have included the identification of a novel host regulatory axis of innate immune (Type III interferon) responses to herpesvirus replication, including a link between host genetic polymorphisms in IFN-λ and disease severity, and the identification of a viral-host protein complex in Varicella zoster virus which may provide a mechanism for VZV to modulate DNA sensor-mediated immune responses. Present work is on a major BBSRC-funded project to investigate the molecular biology of foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) replication with the aim of developing new methods of disease control in collaboration with The Pirbright Institute, and the Universities of Leeds, Dundee and St. Andrews. My role focusses on the identification of host interaction partners and host genes which contribute to or block (FMDV)replication, using a non-infectious replicon system.

Funding

BBSRC

Selected publications

Ramalingam S, Cai B, Wong J, Twomey M, Chen R, Fu RM, Boote T, McCaughan H, Griffiths SJ, Haas JG. Antiviral innate immune response in non-myeloid cells is augmented by chloride ions via an increase in intracellular hypochlorous acid levels. Sci Rep. 2018 Sep 11;8(1):13630. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-31936-y. PubMed PMID: 30206371.

Haas J, Weber J, Gonzalez O, Zimmer R, GRIFFITHS SJ (Submitted – Scientific Reports) Antiviral activity of the mineralocorticoid receptor NR3C2 against Herpes simplex virus Type 1 (HSV-1) infection 

Robertson KA, Hsieh WY, Forster T, Blanc M, Lu H, Crick PJ, Ytuc E, Wang Y, Watterson S, Martin K, GRIFFITHS SJ, Talbot S, Enright AJ, Dölken L, Pradeepa MM, Lennox KA, Behlke MA, Haas J, Griffiths WJ, Angulo A, Ghazal P (2016). Broad antiviral microRNA mechanism coupled to interferon suppression of sterol metabolism. PLOS Biology 14(3):e1002364.

GRIFFITHS SJ*, Dunnigan C, Russell C, Haas J (2015). The role of interferon lambda locus polymorphisms in hepatitis C and other infectious diseases. Journal of Innate Immunity 7(3):231-242. *Corresponding author

Russell CD, GRIFFITHS SJ, Baillie JK, Haas J (2014). Stratified medicine: a call to arms? Lancet Infectious Disease 14(6):451.

Beard PM*, GRIFFITHS SJ*, Gonzalez O, Haga I, Pechenick-Jowers T, Reynolds D, Wildenhain J, Tekotte H, Auer M, Tyers M, Ghazal P, Haas JG (2014). A loss of function analysis of host factors influencing Vaccinia virus replication by RNA interference. PLoS One 9(6):e98431 *Joint first author.

Haga IR, Pechenick-Jowers T, GRIFFITHS SJ, Haas J, Beard PM (2014). TRAF2 facilitates Vaccinia virus replication by promoting rapid virus entry. J. Virol. 88(7):3664-3677.

Russell CD, GRIFFITHS SJ, Haas J (2014). Interferon lambda genetic polymorphisms and viral infection: the tip of the iceberg? DNA and Cell Biology 33(2).

GRIFFITHS SJ (2013). Screening for host proteins with pro- and antiviral activity using high-throughput RNAi in ‘Virus-Host Interactions’. Methods in Molecular Biology Vol. 1064:71-90.

GRIFFITHS SJ, Koegl M, Boutell C, Zenner HL, Crump CM, Gonzalez O, Friedel CC, Barry G, Martin K, Craigon MH, Chen R, Kaza LN, Fossum E, Fazakerley JK, Efstathiou S, Zimmer R, Ghazal P, Haas JG (2013). A systematic analysis of host factors reveals a Med23-IFN-λ regulatory axis against Herpes simplex virus Type I replication. PLoS Pathogens 9(8):e1003514.

 

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