Find a Conference

Phishing Alert - GRC SPEAKERS AND DISCUSSION LEADERS ARE BEING TARGETED BY PHISHING ATTEMPTS DESIGNED TO COLLECT PAYMENT FOR REGISTRATION OR LODGING. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

Viruses and Cells

Gordon Research Conference

The Biology of Viral Infection: Replication, Host Interactions and Pathogenesis

May 18 - 23, 2025

Apply Now

GRC Education Requirements: Undergraduates or those who have not obtained a bachelor's degree in science/engineering (or acceptable equivalent) are not eligible to apply to attend Gordon Research Conferences or Seminars.

Chair

Vice Chairs

and

Rey Don Jaime Grand Hotel

Avinguda de l'Hotel

Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain

Venue and Travel Information

Application Information

This meeting is currently oversubscribed (full). You may still submit an application. However, it will only be considered by the conference chair if more seats become available due to cancellations.

Conference Description

The Viruses and Cells GRC is a premier, international scientific conference focused on advancing the frontiers of science through the presentation of cutting-edge and unpublished research, prioritizing time for discussion after each talk and fostering informal interactions among scientists of all career stages. The conference program includes a diverse range of speakers and discussion leaders from institutions and organizations worldwide, concentrating on the latest developments in the field. The conference is five days long and held in a remote location to increase the sense of camaraderie and create scientific communities, with lasting collaborations and friendships. In addition to premier talks, the conference has designated time for poster sessions from individuals of all career stages, and afternoon free time and communal meals allow for informal networking opportunities with leaders in the field.

The 2025 Viruses and Cells GRC, a premier conference in the field of virology, will cover seminal topics in virology with a focus on current areas of innovation and impact including the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. This conference covers a diversity of viral and host systems: from DNA to RNA to retroviruses, and viruses impacting animal, plant, or microbial hosts. The conference is an interactive forum that brings together investigators at the forefront of the field, junior investigators launching independent research careers, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows. The conference strives to represent a collegial environment that supports the discussion of novel ideas and fosters new collaborations.

Invited speakers will present novel, unpublished and cutting-edge findings in the field of virology. Topics will include viral transmission and entry, replication mechanisms, regulation of gene expression, cell biology of viral infection, pathogenesis, host response and immunity, viral evasion strategies, virus-host interactions, viral evolution and therapeutics. Session chairs with expertise in each session topic will lead interactive, lively, and open discussions following each presentation. In addition to each of the invited speakers, short talks will be chosen from the abstracts that are submitted to the meeting at the time of registration. Abstracts that highlight the most exciting and new developments in the field of virology will be selected for short talks, and other abstracts will be selected as posters. The evening poster sessions are a prominent and important aspect of this conference providing yet another opportunity for participants to interact and discuss their research findings in an informal, friendly atmosphere.

*Please note that talk selections from submitted abstracts will be made by January 20, 2025.*

Related Meeting

This GRC will be held in conjunction with the "Viruses and Cells" Gordon Research Seminar (GRS). Those interested in attending both meetings must submit an application for the GRS in addition to an application for the GRC. Refer to the associated GRS program page for more information.

Conference Program

Sunday
2:00 pm - 9:00 pm	Arrival and Check-in
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Dinner
7:30 pm - 7:40 pm	Introductory Comments by GRC Staff / Welcome and Introduction from the Chairs
7:40 pm - 9:30 pm	Keynote Session: Therapeutic Strategies Discussion Leader:
7:40 pm - 8:05 pm	"Novel Vaccines and Immunotherapies to Eliminate the World's Most Common Congenital Infection: CMV"
8:05 pm - 8:15 pm	Discussion
8:15 pm - 8:35 pm	"Molecular Basis of African Swine Fever Virus Virulence in View of Vaccine Development"
8:35 pm - 8:45 pm	Discussion
8:45 pm - 8:55 pm	"Novel Antiviral for Dengue Virus Targets Flaviviral Polyprotein Translocation into the ER"
8:55 pm - 9:00 pm	Discussion
9:00 pm - 9:10 pm	"All Birds with One Stone: The Proteostasis Network as a Target for Broad-acting Antivirals"
9:10 pm - 9:15 pm	Discussion
9:15 pm - 9:25 pm	"Molecular Basis for Potent Neutralization of Enterovirus D68 by Human Monoclonal Antibodies as a New Tool to Prevent Paralysis in Children"
9:25 pm - 9:30 pm	Discussion
Monday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm	Immune System Activation and Viral Immune Evasion Discussion Leader:
9:00 am - 9:20 am	"Multiple Strategies of Evading the Innate Antiviral Response by the Dengue Virus NS5 Protein"
9:20 am - 9:30 am	Discussion
9:30 am - 9:50 am	"Virus-Host interaction Studies and the Search for a Cure Against Hepatitis B Virus"
9:50 am - 10:00 am	Discussion
10:00 am - 10:10 am	"Targeting Vulnerability of EBV Infection for Vaccine Development"
10:10 am - 10:15 am	Discussion
10:15 am - 10:25 am	"Varicella Zoster Virus Modulates IFN? Signaling to Favor Virus Spread"
10:25 am - 10:30 am	Discussion
10:30 am - 11:00 am	Coffee Break
11:00 am - 11:20 am	"Tiny Messengers: Peptides in Anti-Viral Innate Immunity"
11:20 am - 11:30 am	Discussion
11:30 am - 11:40 am	"Bispecific Antibodies Targeting Two Glycoproteins on SFTSV Synergistic Neutralization and Protection in a Mouse Model"
11:40 am - 11:45 am	Discussion
11:45 am - 11:55 am	"Short 5' UTRs are a Novel Molecular Pattern for Viral Inhibition by IFIT2 and IFIT3"
11:55 am - 12:00 pm	Discussion
12:00 pm - 12:10 pm	"CRISPR Screening Pipeline utilizing Virally Induced Remodeling of Cellular Antibody Affinity (VIRCAA) identifies JUNB as an Inflammatory Anti-viral Factor"
12:10 pm - 12:15 pm	Discussion
12:15 pm - 12:25 pm	"Antibodies Targeting Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus GP38 Limit Vascular Leak and Viral Spread"
12:25 pm - 12:30 pm	Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:30 pm	Free Time
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm	The GRC Power Hour™ The GRC Power Hour™ is designed to address the interests and needs of all scientists and the challenges they face in their careers. Specifically, the program promotes meaningful conversations amongst colleagues of all career stages about barriers to career advancement and strategies to support the professional growth of all members of the community. The GRC Power Hour™ is open to all conference participants. Organizers: , and
4:30 pm - 6:00 pm	Poster Session
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm	Viral and Host Gene Regulation Discussion Leader:
6:00 pm - 6:20 pm	"Defining the Landscape of Host Defenses Against Emergent Viruses"
6:20 pm - 6:30 pm	Discussion
6:30 pm - 6:50 pm	"Mechanisms for Differential Interferon Signaling Across Lung Tissue During an Influenza Virus Infection"
6:50 pm - 7:00 pm	Discussion
7:00 pm - 7:20 pm	"HSV-1 and Chromatin Loops: Making the Right Connections to Initiate Reactivation"
7:20 pm - 7:30 pm	Discussion
7:30 pm - 7:40 pm	"Viral Hijacking of Pioneer Factor Activity Reveals a Novel Function for a Developmental Transcription Factor SOX18"
7:40 pm - 7:45 pm	Discussion
7:45 pm - 7:55 pm	"Efficient and Accurate Detection of Viral Sequences at Single-Cell Resolution Reveals Putative Novel Viruses Perturbing Host Gene Expression"
7:55 pm - 8:00 pm	Discussion
8:00 pm - 9:00 pm	Dinner
Tuesday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
8:30 am - 9:00 am	Group Photo
9:00 am - 12:30 pm	Cellular Remodeling Discussion Leader:
9:00 am - 9:20 am	"Decoding Anti-viral Immune Responses from the Cell to the Lactating Mammary"
9:20 am - 9:30 am	Discussion
9:30 am - 9:50 am	"Molecular Mechanisms of Mast Cell Detection of Dengue Virus"
9:50 am - 10:00 am	Discussion
10:00 am - 10:10 am	"Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Vaccinia Virus Infection and Host Response Dynamics Using Single-Cell Transcriptomics and Proteomics"
10:10 am - 10:15 am	Discussion
10:15 am - 10:25 am	"Regulation of Human Cytomegalovirus by a Host mRNA Deadenylase Complex"
10:25 am - 10:30 am	Discussion
10:30 am - 11:00 am	Coffee Break
11:00 am - 11:20 am	"The Early Phase of HIV Replication"
11:20 am - 11:30 am	Discussion
11:30 am - 11:40 am	"Novel Antiviral Restriction Factors of HSV-1"
11:40 am - 11:45 am	Discussion
11:45 am - 11:55 am	"Glucose-Independent Human Cytomegalovirus Replication is Supported by Metabolites that Feed Upper Glycolytic Branches"
11:55 am - 12:00 pm	Discussion
12:00 pm - 12:10 pm	"Structural Basis of Zika Virus NS5 Interaction with the Rootlet Fiber and its Link with Associated Ciliopathy"
12:10 pm - 12:15 pm	Discussion
12:15 pm - 12:25 pm	"Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus Modulates the Proteome of 3D Brain Model Leading to Impaired Cell Migration"
12:25 pm - 12:30 pm	Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:30 pm	Free Time
4:30 pm - 6:00 pm	Poster Session
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm	Viral Pathogenesis Discussion Leader:
6:00 pm - 6:20 pm	"Impact of Paternal Viral Infection on Offspring Antiviral Immunity"
6:20 pm - 6:30 pm	Discussion
6:30 pm - 6:50 pm	"From Viremia to Persistence: Exploring how Ebola Virus Colonizes the Central Nervous System"
6:50 pm - 7:00 pm	Discussion
7:00 pm - 7:20 pm	"An Integrated Framework for Evaluating Viral Zoonotic Threats"
7:20 pm - 7:30 pm	Discussion
7:30 pm - 7:40 pm	"A Human Cerebral Organoid Model to Investigate the Host-Pathogen Determinants of Ebola Virus Persistence in the Central Nervous System"
7:40 pm - 7:45 pm	Discussion
7:45 pm - 7:55 pm	"Immune Cell Recruitment Promotes Paralysis in a Mouse Model of Enterovirus D68 Disease"
7:55 pm - 8:00 pm	Discussion
8:00 pm - 9:00 pm	Dinner
Wednesday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm	Viral Entry Mechanisms Discussion Leader:
9:00 am - 9:20 am	"Structural Studies of Bunyavirus Glycoprotein Complexes"
9:20 am - 9:30 am	Discussion
9:30 am - 9:50 am	"TRIM21 Effects Intracellular Neutralization of Incoming Viruses Via Selective Autophagy"
9:50 am - 10:00 am	Discussion
10:00 am - 10:10 am	"Virion Entry Pathway Determines HCMV Infection Outcome"
10:10 am - 10:15 am	Discussion
10:15 am - 10:25 am	"TMEM30a Facilitates Murine Norovirus Entry and Persistent Enteric Infection by Limiting Exoplasmic Phosphatidylethanolamine"
10:25 am - 10:30 am	Discussion
10:30 am - 11:00 am	Coffee Break
11:00 am - 11:20 am	"Entry of Human Herpesvirus 6"
11:20 am - 11:30 am	Discussion
11:30 am - 11:40 am	"Virus Adaptation to Heparan Sulfate Comes with Capsid Stability Tradeoff"
11:40 am - 11:45 am	Discussion
11:45 am - 11:55 am	"SARS-CoV-2 ORF3a Drives Dynamic Dense Body Formation for Optimal Viral Infectivity"
11:55 am - 12:00 pm	Discussion
12:00 pm - 12:10 pm	"Host Endosomal Factor WDR81 Regulates Programmed Cell Death via NF-kB-Mediated Survival Signaling"
12:10 pm - 12:15 pm	Discussion
12:15 pm - 12:25 pm	"Structural Insights into HIV-1 Env-Mediated Membrane Fusion Using Organoid Models and Microscopy Techniques"
12:25 pm - 12:30 pm	Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:30 pm	Free Time
4:30 pm - 6:00 pm	Poster Session
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm	Latency and Oncogenesis Discussion Leader:
6:00 pm - 6:20 pm	"Regulation of Cutaneous Antiviral Immunity"
6:20 pm - 6:30 pm	Discussion
6:30 pm - 6:50 pm	"Contributions of Merkel Cell Polyomavirus to Merkel Cell Carcinoma"
6:50 pm - 7:00 pm	Discussion
7:00 pm - 7:20 pm	"RNA Decay and Viral Infection: Deciphering the Viral-Host Arms Race to Control RNA Stability"
7:20 pm - 7:30 pm	Discussion
7:30 pm - 7:40 pm	"A Viral lncRNA Associates with the HSV-1 Genome and a Nuclear Membrane Protein to Regulate the Repression of Lytic Genes"
7:40 pm - 7:45 pm	Discussion
7:45 pm - 7:55 pm	"Delta Viruses Spread Through a Viral Trojan Horse"
7:55 pm - 8:00 pm	Discussion
8:00 pm - 9:00 pm	Dinner
Thursday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
8:30 am - 9:00 am	Business Meeting Nominations for the Next Vice Chair(s); Complete the GRC Evaluation Forms; Election of the Next Vice Chair(s)
9:00 am - 12:30 pm	Virus Host Interactions Discussion Leader:
9:00 am - 9:20 am	"Cytoplasmic mRNA Decay by Viral and Antiviral Nucleases Inhibits Cellular Transcription"
9:20 am - 9:30 am	Discussion
9:30 am - 9:50 am	"G-quadruplex Regulation of Varicella-Zoster Virus Glycoprotein C Expression and Virion Release"
9:50 am - 10:00 am	Discussion
10:00 am - 10:10 am	"A Zebrafish-based In Vivo Model of Zika Virus Infection Unveils Alterations of the Glutamatergic Neuronal Development and NS4A as a Key Viral Determinant of Neuropathogenesis"
10:10 am - 10:15 am	Discussion
10:15 am - 10:25 am	"Membrane Tethering by the Host GTPase Atlastin-2 is Critical for Flavivirus Replication"
10:25 am - 10:30 am	Discussion
10:30 am - 11:00 am	Coffee Break
11:00 am - 11:20 am	"Dual Receptor Specificity for Sialic Acid and MHC Class II in Human and Avian Influenza A Virus"
11:20 am - 11:30 am	Discussion
11:30 am - 11:40 am	"Determining RNA-Binding Activity of IFIT3 and its Effect on Pro-viral Activity in Influenza A Virus Infection"
11:40 am - 11:45 am	Discussion
11:45 am - 11:55 am	"Noncanonical CircRNA Biogenesis Driven by Alpha and Gamma Herpesviruses"
11:55 am - 12:00 pm	Discussion
12:00 pm - 12:10 pm	"Gammaherpesvirus Infection Elicits Transfer RNA Cleavage"
12:10 pm - 12:15 pm	Discussion
12:15 pm - 12:25 pm	"Surfaceome Profiling of the Human Cytomegalovirus RL11 Family Reveals Modulators of the Immune and Cardiovascular Systems"
12:25 pm - 12:30 pm	Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:30 pm	Free Time
4:30 pm - 6:00 pm	Poster Session
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm	Keynote Session: Viral Evolution and Adaptation Discussion Leader:
6:00 pm - 6:20 pm	"Genomic Surveillance and Characterization of Microbial Threats Facilitates Early Detection and Containment of Disease of Outbreaks in West Africa"
6:20 pm - 6:30 pm	Discussion
6:30 pm - 6:50 pm	"What Ribosome Profiling Can Teach us About Zika Virus?"
6:50 pm - 7:00 pm	Discussion
7:00 pm - 7:20 pm	"SARS-CoV-2 Intrahost Persistence: Implications for Seasonality and Vaccination"
7:20 pm - 7:30 pm	Discussion
7:30 pm - 7:40 pm	"Structural Systems Virology Reveals the Proteome-Wide Atlas of Human Herpesvirus Protein Families and Their Interactions"
7:40 pm - 7:45 pm	Discussion
7:45 pm - 7:55 pm	"Impact of Pre-Existing Immunity on Zoonotic Influenza Virus Transmission and Pathogenesis"
7:55 pm - 8:00 pm	Discussion
8:00 pm - 9:00 pm	Dinner
Friday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
9:00 am	Departure

Contributors

Herpetic Legion

Conference Links

Conference History Viruses and Cells (GRS) Contribute Financially to This Conference

Conference Fees

Similar Conferences

Poster Information

Poster sessions are an integral part of the our conferences, and offer all conferees an opportunity to discuss their research.

Preparing your GRC poster

Funding Opportunities

Financial assistance is available beginning in 2026 for qualified applicants through the Carl Storm Opportunity Fellowships program. Learn more.

Registration Fees

Conferee Single Room:

$1,625.00

Conferee Shared Room:

$1,380.00

Conferee Off-Site:

$1,115.00

Guest Single Room:

$1,435.00

Guest Shared Room:

$1,190.00

Guest Off-Site:

$925.00

Child 4-12 yrs Shared Room:

$595.00

Child 4-12 yrs Off-Site:

$463.00

Child Under 4 yrs Shared Room:

Free

Child Under 4 yrs Off-Site:

Free

Additional Fee Info

Similar Gordon Research Conferences and Seminars

Biology of Acute Respiratory Infection

February 22 - 27, 2026

Biotherapeutics and Vaccines Development

March 8 - 13, 2026

Microbes as Therapeutics

August 2 - 7, 2026

Contact Us

MyGRC Account
Check your application status, complete your registration, update your poster, change your rooming preference, make a bus reservation, print an invitation letter, print a receipt (which includes verification that you are presenting a poster) or print an invoice by logging into your account.

GRC Venues
Everything you need to know, to plan your trip.

FAQs
Instant answers to common questions.

Tell us how we can help

Call us and leave a detailed message at: 401-783-4011

*This voicemail is only checked once daily. Due to high volume of requests during the conference season, responses may be delayed.

You have no notifications