W. Furnon

A Machine Learning Framework to Identify the Correlates of Disease Severity in Acute Arbovirus Infection

This study uses machine learning to identify key viral and host processes associated with varying severity in bluetongue virus infection in sheep.

The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron sub-variant BA.2.86 is attenuated in hamsters

The paper assesses the virulence of the SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.86 variant in hamsters and finds it is attenuated compared to BA.2.75.

Phenotyping the virulence of SARS-CoV-2 variants in hamsters by digital pathology and machine learning

This study develops quantitative pipelines using digital pathology and machine learning to assess the virulence of SARS-CoV-2 variants in hamsters, showing that some Omicron sub-lineages have regained virulence.

Timing and magnitude of the type-I interferon response are determinants of disease tolerance in arbovirus infection

This study shows that the timing and magnitude of the type-I interferon response determine disease tolerance in bluetongue virus infection between sheep and cattle.

The P681H mutation in the Spike glycoprotein escapes IFITM restriction and is necessary for type I interferon resistance in the SARS-CoV-2 alpha variant

This paper shows the P681H mutation in the SARS-CoV-2 alpha variant's Spike protein enables resistance to type I interferon and IFITM proteins, enhancing viral entry and transmission.

Evolution of enhanced innate immune suppression by SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants

This study shows that later Omicron subvariants of SARS-CoV-2, such as BA.4 and BA.5, have evolved enhanced innate immune suppression compared to earlier subvariants like BA.1 and BA.2.

Zoonotic avian influenza viruses evade human BTN3A3 restriction

This study identifies BTN3A3 as a human restriction factor that inhibits avian influenza viruses but not human IAVs, with resistance linked to specific NP mutations.

The altered entry pathway and antigenic distance of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant map to separate domains of spike protein

This study identifies distinct genetic determinants in the Omicron spike protein for altered cell entry and antigenic properties, showing they are separable and may affect future variant severity and vaccine efficacy.

The P681H mutation in the Spike glycoprotein confers Type I interferon resistance in the SARS-CoV-2 alpha (B.1.1.7) variant

This study shows the P681H mutation in the SARS-CoV-2 alpha variant's Spike protein confers resistance to Type I interferon, enhancing viral replication by evading innate immune responses.

Mutations that adapt SARS-CoV-2 to mustelid hosts do not increase fitness in the human airway.

The paper identifies spike mutations that adapt SARS-CoV-2 to mustelid hosts and assesses their impact on human infectivity and antigenicity.