Detail

Research group(s)

• Virus genome diversity
  Members:
  Irene Görzer
  Hannes Vietzen

Research interests

I am interested in the diversity of virus genomes as they appear in human infections, with a special interest on mixed virus strain infections and their dynamics in the human host. The knowledge is fundamental for understanding virus-host interaction and pathogenesis. My research focus is on human cytomegalovirus, which is a major cause of serious illness in congenitally infected newborns and patients with a weakened immune system.

My current work relates to following areas:

• characterizing strains in clinical samples using highly sensitive tools
• uncovering the occurrence and dynamic of mixed strain populations in the infected host    
• revealing any association of certain strains or mixtures thereof with clinical outcome
• understanding the biological properties of different strains by focusing on polymorphic genes involved in cell tropism

Techniques, methods & infrastructure

Sanger and next-generation sequencing strategies and a broad spectrum of PCR and qPCR assays  to comprehensively detect and characterize human viruses in clinical samples including virus genotyping and resistence testing.

Cell culture models for studying infection and growth properties of human cytomegaloviruses.

BAC mutagenesis for generation of mutant viruses.

Broad spectrum of molecular and cell biology methods.

Selected publications

1. Görzer I*, Jaksch P*, Strassl R, Klepetko W, Puchhammer-Stöckl E. Association between Plasma Torque Teno Virus level and chronic lung allograft dysfunction after lung transplantation. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2017 Mar;36(3):366-368.
2. Görzer I, Trajanoski S, Popow-Kraupp T, Puchhammer-Stöckl E. Analysis of human cytomegalovirus strain populations in urine samples of newborns by ultra deep sequencing. J Clin Virol. 2015 Dec;73:101-4.
3. Görzer I, Haloschan M, Jaksch P, Klepetko W, Puchhammer-Stöckl E. Plasma DNA levels of Torque teno virus and immunosuppression after lung transplantation. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2014 Mar;33(3):320-3
4. Görzer I, Guelly C, Trajanoski S, Puchhammer-Stöckl E. The impact of PCR-generated recombination on diversity estimation of mixed viral populations by deep sequencing. J Virol Methods. 2010 Oct;169(1):248-252.
5. Görzer I, Guelly C, Trajanoski S, Puchhammer-Stöckl E. Deep sequencing reveals highly complex dynamics of human cytomegalovirus genotypes in transplant patients over time. J Virol. 2010 Jul;84(14):7195-7203.