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Getting a bullet to hit a target isn’t easy; but a bigger target could certainly increase your chances. So it goes with Dr. Chris Roberts and his search for influenza vaccines. The virus he studies is the filamentous version, which is roughly 250 times longer than normal spherical viruses. In simple terms, the spherical virus looks like a ball and the filamentous version is more like a bat or rod. “This large capacity to store genetic material makes the virus more dangerous, but it’s a good candidate for a vaccine by the same reasoning,” Dr. Roberts said.

With a five-year $800,000 grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Dr. Roberts is investigating the cell biology of virus entry and assembly mechanisms related to the filamentous influenza virus. It’s his hunch that the huge virus is more pathogenic, because more antibodies may be required to neutralize it. Furthermore, in comparison to typical, spherical viruses that often have missing RNA segments, the filamentous version contains extra copies of viral RNA, increasing its odds of becoming infectious.

Using three-dimensional digital imaging microscopy, Dr. Roberts and his research team in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology are documenting the mechanisms and movement of this virus-type. Its predominance in human influenza virus samples suggests that it may play an active role in spreading disease. Dr. Roberts explains that its elongated body may bridge the gaps between cells, allowing newly formed viruses to go directly from one host cell to the next. This might allow the virus to escape normal immune defense mechanisms.

The influenza virus, which causes the common flu, is continually undergoing subtle genetic mutations, allowing new strains to develop and infect people who might otherwise be immune by prior infection or vaccination. The NIAID has given special recognition to the work done by Dr. Roberts, as it tries to support and design more effective flu vaccines and treatments.

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