The University of Geneva (UNIGE) is a thriving research entity located at the heart of Europe. It has a long-standing tradition in biomedical research, with a particular emphasis on virology and microbiology in general. Notably also, Geneva harbors the Swiss diagnostic unit for high risk pathogens (BSL-4D), located in the University Hospital of Geneva. A significant number of research groups and also the clinical diagnostic entities are located at one central site (Centre Médicale Universitaire and Hôpital Universitaire Genevois; connected), allowing for optimal and efficient exchange of reagents, common use of core facilities, and major equipment.

The CMU features multiple safety level 2 and one big (70m2) level 3 laboratory that are freely accessible to the applicant partner. They are all comprehensively equipped for microbiological esearch including virus propagation, microscopy and more. In addition there is a large centralized animal facility with containment laboratory space for accommodation of experimental mice undergoing infection experiments. Core facilities with state-of-the-art equipment include flow cytometry (as needed for the immunological evaluations planned) and electron microscopy and sequencing (for virus characterization).

Tasks:

UNIGE will contribute to EVA the substantial collection of viruses Prof. Pinschewer has inherited from Nobel laureate Prof. Zinkernagel (formerly University of Zurich, now retired), a collection established over the past 30 years and containing a large number of viruses that are no longer available from any other laboratory in Europe or even in the world. Most importantly also, UNIGE will establish mouse infection models, representing an important cornerstone of EVA which is meant to become a "toolbox" for virus research in Europe.

Experience:

The laboratory of Prof. Pinschewer has demonstrated and long-standing expertise in viral infection models, particularly in the analysis of antiviral immune defense and of viral pathogenesis in vivo. Moreover, the laboratory has contributed essential work to arenavirus immunbiology, including the establishment of the first reverse genetic system for an arenavirus from cDNA. As an important complementary activity, the laboratory of Prof. Pinschewer is a partner of the CompuVac consortium (European Framework Program 6) where his team plays a pivotal role in the standardized evaluation of novel genetic vaccines, more specifically in the evaluation of their performance in animals models of viral challenge infection. Bridging the CompuVac and EVA activities of partner UNIGE will result in optimal synergy and interactions of these consortia, operating in closely related fields of virus research.

Key staff members:

Prof. Dr. med. Daniel D. Pinschewer (MD) studied medicine at the University of Zurich and performed a medical thesis at the Institute of Experimental Immunology at the University Hospital of Zurich (led by Nobel Laureate Prof. R. M. Zinkernagel and Prof. H. Hengartner; 1998-2000). Subsequently he trained as a postdoctoral fellow in molecular virology in the laboratory of Prof. J. C. de la Torre (The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA; 2001-2002) and in immunology in the laboratory of R. M. Zinkernagel / H. Hengartner (University Hospital of Zurich, Switzerland; 2002-2004). D. Pinschewer became an independent research group leader at the Institute of Experimental Immunology, University Hospital of Zurich, Switzerland, in 2004 and was nominated a "private lecturer" in "infection immunology" at the University of Zurich in 2006. In 2007 he was awarded a stipendiary professorship by the Swiss National Science Foundation and was recruited to the University of Geneva where he currently holds the position of an Associate Professor (Prof. adj. suppl.).

Dr. sc. rer. nat. Weldy Bonilla, PhD, studied biology at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ). She did her PhD in viral immunology with Profs. R. M. Zinkernagel and H. Hengartner at the Institute of Experimental Immunology, University Hospital of Zurich (1998-2003). Subsequently she was recruited as a research team and project leader to Prionics AG, a thriving biotech startup company located in Zurich, Switzerland. Subsequently she joined the laboratory of Prof. D. Pinschewer at the University of Geneva where she holds the position of a senior scientist (maitre assistante).

References:

Bergthaler A, D. Merkler, E. Horvath, L. Bestmann and D. D. Pinschewer. 2007. Contributions of the LCMV glycoprotein and polymerase to strain-specific differences in murine liver pathogenicity. J Gen Virol 88;592-603 (Impact factor: 3.110)

Bergthaler A., N. U. Gerber, D. Merkler, E. Horvath, J. C. de la Torre and D. D. Pinschewer. 2006. Envelope exchange for the generation of live-attenuated arenavirus vaccines. PLoS Pathog 2(6); e51 (Impact factor: 6.056)

Merkler D., E. Horvath, W. Bruck, R. M. Zinkernagel, J. C. de la Torre and D. D. Pinschewer. 2006. "Viral déjá vu" elicits organ-specific immune disease independent of reactivity to self. J Clin Invest 116; 1254-1263 (Impact factor: 15.754)

Flatz L., A. Bergthaler, J. C. de la Torre and D. D. Pinschewer. 2006. Recovery of an arenavirus entirely from RNA polymerase I/II-driven cDNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 103; 4663-4668 (Impact factor: 9.643)

Pinschewer, D.D., M. Perez, E. Jeetendra, T. Bachi, E. Horvath, H. Hengartner, M.A. Whitt, J.C. de la Torre, and R.M. Zinkernagel. 2004. Kinetics of protective antibodies are determined by the viral surface antigen. J Clin Invest 114;988-993 (Impact factor: 15.754)