Students from the Interdepartmental Microbiology graduate program recently attended the 13th biannual All Iowa Virology Symposium, where they joined researchers from across the state for two days of scientific exchange and discussion focused on virology!
Three IM students presented their research. Carter Casey from the Olmedo-Velarde Lab gave an oral presentation titled “Virus Prevalence in Iowa Soybeans and Grapes.” Tyler Simpkins from the Blitvich Lab presented a poster titled “Proximity-Based Mapping of the NS3 Protein Interactome: Comparing Dual-Host and Insect-Specific Flaviviruses.” Kota Nakasato from the Olmedo-Velarde Lab also presented a poster, “An Infectious Clone and Nextstrain Workflow for Soybean dwarf virus Enable Genomic Surveillance and Functional Follow-Up in Iowa.”
The symposium gave students an opportunity to learn about current research, hear from experts across multiple areas of virology, and connect with other scientists and trainees. The event also gave IM students a chance to share their work and represent the program within Iowa’s virology research community.