University of Virginia Library

Researchers Of Virus
Include Med Student

A method for concentrating and
purifying viruses has been shown to
work for all classes of viruses by a
group of researchers including a
University student.

Larry Wayne Lawhorne of
Faber, now a first-year student at
the School of Medicine, worked
during the past two summers as a
research assistant on the project
directed by Dr. Rolf Benziager,
assistant professor of biology. During
his fourth year at the College of
Arts and Sciences, Lawhorne also
participated in the undergraduate
independent research program. For
his outstanding work, Lawhorne
received the Phi Sigma honorary
biology fraternity award and was
elected to membership in Sigma Xi,
a national honorary scientific society.

The method enables researchers
to obtain a biologically active
sample of any virus in a short
period of time. "Pure viruses are
needed for studying their detailed
structure and for making antisera
for vaccinations," says Lawhorne.
This is important because many
viruses cause infectious diseases and
some are known to cause cancer.

In the early 1960's it was
discovered that plant viruses could
be concentrated and purified by
precipitating them in the presence
of a substance called polyethylene
glycol (PEG) and salt. The researchers
- Lawhorne, Dr. Benzinger
and James McSharry, a
graduate student in microbiology
from Charlottesville - working in
conjunction with a Princeton University
team, tried this same
method with bacterial and animal
viruses and found that it worked.

"We tried this method for all
types of viruses and found the same
method is applicable to all of
them," says Lawhome. Furthermore,
the method can be used on a
large scale, making it commercially
applicable.