How do retroviruses survive in a hostile new host environment?
—By Melissa Beattie-Moss Back to article Mary Poss’s research subjects range from the very large—cougars native to the Northern Rockies—to microscopic viral genomes. By studying the molecular biology of viruses and their hosts on a variety of scales, Poss—a Penn State professor of biology and veterinary science—hopes to gain a greater understanding of how viruses evolve in response to changing environments. Lentiviruses, a group consisting of several viruses, including HIV, that cause immunodeficiency diseases in humans and other mammals, are at the center of Poss’s work. She is particularly interested in a feline strain of lentivirus found only in wild cougars. “We have a lot of information about this particular strain,” said Poss. “It’s a cousin of HIV, with similar molecular biology. And we know that the virus’s life cycle in its feline hosts is very similar to that of primate immunodeficiency viruses: there are many wild felines that have this infection and don’t get sick.” Lentivi
