Analyzing very complex data
Kehn-Hall regularly uses QIAGEN’s extraction kits in the laboratory. “They are the industry standard,” she says. “But the IPA software has really made all the difference. When you get back all the NGS data, especially RNA-related information, it can be really overwhelming. The IPA platform helped us analyze this very complex data set, allowing us to visualize the data and see the pathways that are critical to infection. We would not be able to focus on these key factors, validating and perhaps identifying them as potential therapeutic targets, without it.”
Dinman is convinced that this discovery adds an important piece to understanding the puzzle of VEEV host-cell interactions, and agrees that it makes sense to have EGR1 as a mediator of apoptosis after VEEV infection. “Viruses like VEEV are invaders,” he says, loudly tapping his fingers on the table in front of him. “When the brain cells get stressed by such an invasion, they turn on the innate immune response. Now we see EGR1 is turning on that innate immune response, signaling that the cell has a problem. The cell can’t fix that problem, so it’s programmed to kill itself for the good of its neighbors – sacrificing one for the good of many. So, all of a sudden, your brain cells start to pop like popcorn, resulting in major neurological problems. ”