Description of theme 1
Description of theme 2
Description of theme 3
   
 

P.O. Box 9101
6500 HB, Nijmegen
Geert Grooteplein 28
6525 GA, Nijmegen

T +31 24 361 7574
F +31 24 361 4666

Ronald van Rij is group leader in the section of Virology, Dept of Medical Microbiology. He obtained his PhD Cum Laude from the University of Amsterdam. After post-doctoral training at the University of California San Francisco, USA and the Hubrecht Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands, he moved to Nijmegen as a recipient of a NCMLS tenure track fellowship. He recently received a VIDI fellowship from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO).
Dr. Ir. Ronald van Rij

Vertebrates depend on a sophisticated network of innate and adaptive immune responses for antiviral defense. Insects and other non-vertebrates, however, lack these protein-based immune responses; yet, they are able to effectively clear viral infections. We recently showed that RNA interference (RNAi) — post-transcriptional gene silencing guided by small interfering RNA (siRNA) — provides antiviral immunity in the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster. Whether RNAi has natural antiviral activity in mammals is still an unresolved question. We are interested in the mechanism of RNAi-mediated antiviral defense, its role in viral pathogenesis, and its relation to other defense mechanisms. We study RNA viruses, including viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes, such as Dengue virus, in mammalian and insect cell culture and in adult Drosophila melanogaster.
 
Recent key publications

Van Rij, R.P., and Berezikov, E. 2009. Small RNAs and the control of transposons and viruses in Drosophila. Trends in Microbiol 17:163-71.

Saleh MC, Tassetto M*, van Rij RP*, Goic B, Gausson V, Berry B, Jacquier C, Antoniewski C, Andino R. 2009. Antiviral immunity in Drosophila requires systemic RNA interference spread. Nature 458: 346-350. (*equal contribution).

Van Rij, R.P. 2008. Virus meets RNAi - Symposium on Antiviral applications of RNAi. EMBO rep 9: 725-729.

Van Rij, R.P., Saleh, M.C., Berry, B., Foo, C., Houk, A., Antoniewski, C., and Andino, R. 2006. The RNA silencing endonuclease ARGONAUTE 2 mediates specific antiviral immunity in Drosophila melanogaster. Genes & Dev 20: 2985-2995.

Saleh, M.C.*, Van Rij, R.P.*, Hekele, A., Gillis, A., Foley, E., O'Farrell, P.H., and Andino, R. 2006. The endocytic pathway mediates cell entry of dsRNA to induce RNAi silencing. Nature Cell Biology 8:793-802. (*equal contribution).