Research Robert Shope

transmission electron micrograph showing dengue virions, 1 of many arboviruses shope researched

the virologist charles h. calisher described shope walking encyclopaedia on arbovirus catalogue, , during career shope contributed discovery of hundreds of novel viruses – more person previously. research encompassed not areas of virology, tropical , emerging infectious diseases, epidemiology, vector biology , public health. calisher , emerging infectious disease specialist c. j. peters highlighted multidisciplinary approach, stating brought virus community , served bridge between classical arbovirology , many other disciplines including ecology, genetics , structural biology. epidemiologist , emerging infectious disease specialist stephen s. morse considered shope exemplify approach of integrating laboratory , epidemiological , being able think broadly evolutionary issues specifics.

shope studied australian disease known epidemic polyarthritis s. g. anderson, showing caused alphavirus, later characterised ross river virus. interest in infectious diseases stimulated military service in malaysia, investigated fevers among army personnel , locals. during time in brazil in 1960s, characterised on fifty different arboviruses (viruses transmitted arthropods) including guama , oropouche viruses, many unknown. studied viruses vertebrate reservoirs, including birds, marsupials , rodents.

later decade while @ yaru, characterised novel arboviruses birds in egypt. in 1969, research turned outbreaks of lassa , yellow fever in nigeria. following year, frederick a. murphy, discovered duvenhage, lagos bat , mokola viruses, first viruses shown related rabies. characterised thottapalayam virus, later shown first hantavirus, indian shrew in 1971. murphy , others, discovered multiple viruses related bluetongue, including bluetongue 20 virus, first bluetongue-like virus australia. in late 1970s, jim meegan, showed rift valley fever virus – believed restricted sub-saharan africa, , infect livestock – cause of epidemic in egypt in around 200,000 people infected. allan steer, first describe lyme disease, tick-borne bacterial disease, in us. subsequently worked on viral hemorrhagic fevers, discovering sabiá , guanarito viruses, causative agents of brazilian , venezuelan hemorrhagic fevers. researched dengue , vaccines.

during shope s time @ yale, yaru became global repository arboviruses. when , tesh moved university of texas medical branch in 1995, brought arbovirus collection – consisting of more 4,000 strains of arbovirus , more 1,000 other viral strains, reagents such antibodies – them. collection used scientists internationally identify virus strains. @ galveston, shope widened focus include bioterrorism, winning $3.7 million in funding develop measures counter threat. group identified alphavirus, arenavirus , flavivirus potential bioterrorist risks, , shope worked structural biologist david gorenstein develop new small-molecule antivirals targeted against these viruses.