JGV Summer of Prizes: Lucille Guion

Posted on October 4, 2018   by Microbiology Society

This year, the Journal of General Virology (JGV) has sponsored four poster prizes at conferences and meetings around the world. Over this week, we will be getting to know a little more about the winners and their research. At this year's Molecular Biology of DNA Tumour Viruses Conference, hosted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Lucile Guion was awarded the JGV Prize for the best student presentation. Lucile is a PhD candidate at the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center.

What was your winning talk called? 

Temporal recruitment of PML nuclear body-residing proteins to incoming HGV genomes following nuclear delivery.

Who or what inspired you to be a scientist?

I have always been curious and inquisitive. As a kid, I was fascinated by science. I ask questions and want to find an answer or a solution to problems. Working as a scientist was the natural way to feed my passion for science and use my problem-solving skills.

What are you currently working on and what area of your research excites you the most?

I am studying how human papillomavirus (HPV) uses PML nuclear bodies in the nucleus to protect itself against immune reaction and to allow for infection. Being able to visualize early transcripts at PML bodies is currently the most exciting part of my research.

How would you explain your poster to a child under 10?

The virus needs to get in the nucleus of the cell. Instead of doing things itself and changing things in the cell, it just uses things that are always there and working this way. That way, the virus is hidden in plain sight and infects you.

How would you explain your poster to a child under 10?

I think I could be a cook. I love cooking and baking in my free time. It also requires time and effort, as well as trouble shooting skills!