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Richard Elliot
My research interests are in structure-function relationships of bunyavirus components, and in the interaction of bunyaviruses with the innate immune defences of both mammalian and insect hosts. We were the first laboratory to develop reverse genetics system for bunyaviruses and have on-going reverse genetics for both Rift Valley fever virus and Schmallenberg virus. We have generated many mutants of RVFV and SBV that are attenuated and have potential as vaccine strains. For RVFV these include viruses lacking NSs and or NSm proteins, viruses with the N and NSs genes swapped on the S segment, and we have converted RVFV from a 3 segment genome virus to a 2 segment genome virus. This latter recombinant can express additional antigens. For SBV we have created a virus lacking NSs expression and viruses with temperature sensitive lesions in the L and N proteins.