Scholars

Leibowitz, Julian

Professor

Positions:

Professor, Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, College of Medicine
Professor, Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

Research Areas:

Virus diseases, Virus infections, RNA, Viruses--Reproduction, Virology

UN Sustainable Development Goals:

Single Page Bio

Profile Summary

jleibowitz@tamu.edu

1 979 436 0313

Co-author Network

Map of Science

Co-investigator Network

Websites

The Leibowitz Lab

ORCID

0000-0003-3485-3506

UN Sustainable Development Goals:

Research Areas:

Virus diseases, Virus infections, RNA, Viruses--Reproduction, Virology

overview

We have two projects in my lab. The first project is focused on identifying evolutionarily conserved RNA secondary structures in the coronavirus RNA genome and functionally examining their role in viral replication through reverse genetic and biochemical approaches. We have previously done this for a number of RNA secondary structures contained within the 5? and 3? regions of the genome and shown that they function as cis-acting elements in replication. Studies in my laboratory have identified a structurally dynamic region of the 5'UTR that interacts with the 3'UTR to facilitate transcription.

A second project in my laboratory has been to develop a reverse genetic system for MHV-1. In collaboration with investigators in Toronto and Pennsylvania my laboratory has demonstrated that MHV-1 infection of susceptible mice provides a safe and convenient rodent model for severe coronavirus infections such as SARS and MERS. The development of a reverse genetic system will allow us to investigate the contributions of individual viral genes to the pathogenesis of the severe pulmonary disease caused by this virus.

education and training

University of California, San Diego - (San Diego, California, United States), Postdoctoral Training 1979
Ph.D. in Cell Biology, Montefiore Medical Center - (The Bronx, New York, United States) 1975
M.D. in Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center - (The Bronx, New York, United States) 1975
B.A. in Chemistry, Alfred University - (Alfred, New York, United States) 1968

selected publications

Academic Articles140

Wells, K. M., He, K., Pandey, A., Cabello, A., Zhang, D., Yang, J., ... de Figueiredo, P. (2022). Brucella activates the host RIDD pathway to subvert BLOS1-directed immune defense. eLife. 11, e73625.
Holmes, E. C., Goldstein, S. A., Rasmussen, A. L., Robertson, D. L., Crits-Christoph, A., Wertheim, J. O., ... Rambaut, A. (2021). The origins of SARS-CoV-2: A critical review. Cell. 184(19), 4848-4856.
Jiang, Y., Zhang, H., Wippold, J. A., Gupta, J., Dai, J., Figueiredo, P., Leibowitz, J. L., & Han, A. (2021). Cover Image, Volume 118, Number 5, May 2021. Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 118(5), i-i.
Jiang, Y., Zhang, H., Wippold, J. A., Gupta, J., Dai, J., de Figueiredo, P., Leibowitz, J. L., & Han, A. (2021). Sub-second heat inactivation of coronavirus using a betacoronavirus model.. Biotechnol Bioeng. 118(5), 2067-2075.
Wippold, J. A., Wang, H., Tingling, J., Leibowitz, J. L., de Figueiredo, P., & Han, A. (2020). PRESCIENT: platform for the rapid evaluation of antibody success using integrated microfluidics enabled technology.. Lab Chip. 20(9), 1628-1638.

SDG 3

Chapters5

Weiss, S. R., & Leibowitz, J. L. (2011). Chapter 4 - Coronavirus Pathogenesis. Advances in virus research. Maramorosch, K., Shatkin, A. J., & Murphy, F. A. (Eds.), Advances in Virus Research. 85-164. Academic Press.
Liu, P., & Leibowitz, J. (2010). RNA Higher-Order Structures Within the Coronavirus 5 and 3 Untranslated Regions and Their Roles in Viral Replication. Lal, S. K. (Eds.), Molecular Biology of the SARS-Coronavirus. 47-61. Springer Berlin Heidelberg.
Weiss, S. R., & Leibowitz, J. L. (2007). Pathogenesis of Murine Coronavirus Infection. Nidoviruses. 259-278. ASM Press.
Liu, P., Millership, J. J., Li, L., Giedroc, D. P., & Leibowitz, J. L. (2006). A previously unrecognized UNR stem-loop structure in the coronavirus 5' untranslated region plays a functional role in replication.. MATHEMATICAL MODELLING IN EXPERIMENTAL NUTRITION. 25-30.
Weiss, S. R., Hughes, S. A., Bonilla, P. J., Turner, J. D., Leibowitz, J. L., & Denison, M. R. (1994). Coronavirus polyprotein processing. Archives of virology. Supplementum. Positive-Strand RNA Viruses. 349-358. Springer Nature.

Conference Papers8

OLESZAK, E. L., PERLMAN, S., PARR, R., COLLISSON, E. W., & LEIBOWITZ, J. L. (1993). MOLECULAR MIMICRY BETWEEN S-PEPLOMER PROTEINS OF CORONAVIRIDAE (MHV, BCV, TGEV AND IBV) AND FC RECEPTOR. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY. 150(8), A88-A88.
Lampert, P. W., Fujinami, R. S., Rodriguez, M., Leibowitz, J. L., & Lang, W. (1983). 63 FURTHER STUDIES ON THE PATHOGENESIS OF THEILERS MURINE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS. Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology. 42(3), 326-326.
CABIRAC, G. F., STRAYER, D. S., SELL, S., & LEIBOWITZ, J. L. (1983). INVESTIGATIONS ON THE IDENTITY OF MALIGNANT RABBIT FIBROMA VIRUS. FEDERATION PROCEEDINGS. 42(4), 968-968.
STRAYER, D. S., SELL, S., CABIRAC, G. F., SKALETSKY, E., SHARP, P., & LEIBOWITZ, J. L. (1982). INVITRO ANALYSIS OF IMMUNOSUPPRESSION IN RABBITS CAUSED BY THE MALIGNANT VARIANT OF SHOPE FIBROMA VIRUS. IMMUNOBIOLOGY. 163(2-4), 235-236.
LEIBOWITZ, J. L., DEVRIES, J. R., & ALEXANDER, C. (1981). A GENETIC-ANALYSIS OF MURINE HEPATITIS-VIRUS, STRAIN JHM. FEDERATION PROCEEDINGS. 40(3), 763-763.

Repository Documents / Preprints2

Wells, K., He, K., Pandey, A., Cabello, A., Zhang, D., Yang, J., ... de Figueiredo, P. (2021). Diverse pathogens activate the host RIDD pathway to subvert BLOS1-directed immune defense.
Jiang, Y., Zhang, H., Wippold, J. A., Gupta, J., Dai, J., de Figueiredo, P., Leibowitz, J. L., & Han, A. (2020). Sub-second heat inactivation of coronavirus.