Wendy S. Barclay

Antiviral Sulfonated Polymersomes Inhibit Corona-, Influenza-, and Alphavirus

A broad-spectrum antiviral is required to enable rapid intervention against current, newly emerging and mutating viruses. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), influenza A virus (IAV), Sindbis virus (SINV) and chikungunya virus (CHIKV) all engage negatively charged moieties on host cells, such a...

The mammalian-adaptive PB2- E627K substitution preserves viral fitness of clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 HPAIV in birds

Emerging Haemagglutinin Mutations in Bovine-origin H5N1 Influenza Viruses from Humans and Cattle Retain Avian Receptor Binding with Increased Stability

The current H5N1 panzootic has seen an unprecedented host range expansion, including sustained circulation in US dairy cattle, detected in March 2024. By July 2026, infections had been reported on more than 1,150 dairy farms across 19 states. Although the outbreak initially centred in Texas, California has emerged as t...

Mutations in severe human H5N1 cases facilitate evasion from human mucus and antivirals

A new paradigm for the evolutionary drivers of haemagglutinin is presented, where reduced sialic acid binding can serve as an advantage for escape from host barriers and antivirals.

RBM6-mediated alternative splicing facilitates the adaptation of Eurasian avian-like H1N1 swine influenza virus

The findings uncover a previously unrecognized role of RBM6 in shaping influenza virus replication and highlight the RBM6-M901C axis may serve as potential targets for controlling influenza virus adaptation and interspecies transmission.