Interview with Dr. G. Sullivan Read

On February 23rd, the three of us interviewed Dr. G. Sullivan Read, who works in herpes virus research at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. During the interview, Dr. Read discussed with us many things involving virus research such as his reasons for why grid computing could be effective, reasons for studying viruses, the path that led him to researching the herpes virus, and several other topics.

Dr. Read had never heard of grid computing before our interview, but once we explained the concept to him, he was quick to say how it could greatly contribute to the field of herpes research and the research field of science overall. This discussion segued into the explanation of why people study viruses at all. Initially we discussed the obvious reasons that people study viruses, in particular the diseases caused by them and the efforts scientists go to to develop a vaccine against them. Dr. Read also discussed viruses as a tool used to research the basic function of cells. Viruses, he said, are a way to implement the same genes into a cell population as a way to get a group of cells to do the same thing at the same time. These viruses have genes that can be implemented into the host cells, causing them to do the same thing at the same time. A population of cells acting in unison can be very helpful to research as a way of studying cell processes. He also mentioned the usefulness in using viruses to study protein folding. Using a virus to cause cells to make a viral protein, allowing the researcher to study not only the cell processes involved in protein folding but also the viral protein itself in efforts to develop an anti-viral medication. Dr. Read also mentioned the connection between studying the basic science of a virus and the application of it in applied sciences. A researcher in basic sciences often makes discoveries that are applicable and important in the area of applied sciences, such as medical research.

Dr. Read also told his story and how he ended up in herpes research. He was originally planning on being an elementary particle physicist. After beginning work towards a Ph.D. in that subject, he found many aspects of biology that he liked. He found that he was more suited, personally, to the field of biology and that it was a better fit for his personal and family life, and that he liked the university setting better than the lab setting, leading him to switch his Ph.D. studies to biophysics. He ended up in herpes research due to a mentor he found when he was younger who was in herpes research. He described his advisor as a cool guy who was fun to be around and was excited about what he was doing, and he happened to be studying herpes. Dr. Read said he has been studying herpes ever since, and that is a a fascinating virus and it is fun to do the work he does with the virus.

Dr. Read’s research is centered on the basics of what goes on inside a cell affected by herpes and the viral proteins that control these cell’s activities. His studies could possibly lead to anti-viral compounds based on the discovery of how different viral proteins work. Anti-viral compounds must be able to work against the virus and against the cells infected by the virus without affecting the surrounding unaffected cells. He says this is more difficult than developing a drug against cells infected by bacteria. Viruses use the cellular transcription apparatus, DNA replication apparatus, and other cellular enzymes to synthesize the viral proteins. So, if a drug affects viral transcription then it will probably affect cellular transcription as well. Because of this, it is key to be able to inhibit the replication of the virus in infected cells while not affecting uninfected cells in the body. To accomplish this, he says you must figure out how the viral proteins work, because these give you targets that can be inhibited by drugs that are specific against them. He explained to us that some anti-viral compounds act by interrupting the polymerization of viral proteins. A specific drug, Acyclovir, is useful because the sugar in its chemical structure is acyclic, as opposed to the cyclic sugars in DNA. These acyclic sugar does not allow anything to be added on to the chain after it, thereby inhibiting the addition of another base and halting viral DNA replication.

Overall, the interview was helped each of us to learn a lot more about the basic virology of the herpes simplex virus, the reasons and importance for studying viruses in general, and the methods of application for virus research. Dr. Read was very friendly, outgoing, and helpful in helping us understand his research and virus research in general.

Thanks to Dr. G. Sullivan Read for his willingness to discuss his research with us and help us better understand the basics behind the infectiveness of the herpes simplex virus.