Christiane Wobus, PhD

 wobus-christiane
Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Medical School
Office:
University of Michigan Medical School
Microbiology and Immunology
1150 West Medical Center Dr
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Email:
[email protected]
Available to mentor
Christiane Wobus, PhD
wobus-christiane
Associate Professor
  • Qualifications
  • Research Overview
  • Links
  • Recent Publications

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    • Qualifications
    • postdoctoral training
      Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, Pathology and Immunology, St Louis, United States
      2001 - 2007
      Postdoctoral Research
    • PhD
      German Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg, Germany
      1997 - 2000
    • MS
      Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
      1994 - 1997
    • Vordiplom
      University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
      1992 - 1994

    Research Overview

    The Wobus lab is interested in mechanisms of norovirus and astrovirus - host interactions. Noroviruses and astroviruses are major causes of viral gastroenteritis worldwide resulting in substantial morbidity and economic loss. However, little information is available about the biology of these viruses and no directed disease prevention and control strategies exist. With our discovery of the first murine norovirus (MNV-1) and hence the availability of a small animal model, the development of the first in vitro culture system and reverse genetics system for a norovirus, we have a unique system to undertake a detailed analysis of different aspects of norovirus biology. More recently, we have expanded our studies to human intestinal organoid systems to study human noroviruses and human astroviruses to compare and contrast human vs murine noroviruses and define shared features of enteric viruses, respectively. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have also been performing collaborative studies with infectious SARS-CoV-2 at BSL3.

    Links
    • Lab website
    • Department Website

    Recent Publications

     See All Publications
    • Journal Article
      Protecting strength and integrity in virology.
      Bieniasz PD, Rice CM, Dermody TS, Enquist LW, Goodrum F, Kushner DB, Lazear HM, Lemon SM, Pekosz A, Purdy J, Racaniello VR, Saif LJ, Schountz T, Weiss SR, Wobus CE, Alwine J, Bertuzzi S, Marrazzo J, Liu S-L. J Virol, 2026 Aug 26; e0089026 DOI:10.1128/jvi.00890-26
      PMID: 42644727
    • Journal Article
      IgA is necessary and sufficient to protect against norovirus infection 2258197
      Ökten A, Filler R, Fang Z, McWilliams B, Muscat-Rivera J, Kung J, Mari I, Gomes O, Mankowski M, Skelly A, Williams A, Eisenbarth S, Chen S, Baldridge M, Lee S, Nice T, Wobus C, Smith T, Weissman D, Krieder E, Craft J, Wilen C. The Journal of Immunology, 2026 Jul 29; 215 (Supplement_1): vkag141.555 DOI:10.1093/jimmun/vkag141.555
    • Proceeding / Abstract / Poster
      Norovirus NS1/2 alters host metabolism
      Hafner A, Wong H, Zhang L, Alfajaro M, Lyssiotis C, Nice TJ, Wilen C, Wobus, PhD C. 2026 Jul 27;
    • Proceeding / Abstract / Poster
      Role of cholesterol homeostasis in human astrovirus VA1-infected enterocytes in a human intestinal organoid model
      Ruiz AR, Cieza R, Wobus, PhD C. 2026 Jul 27;
    • Journal Article
      IgA is necessary and sufficient to prevent norovirus infection in mice
      Ökten AB, Filler RB, Kung JL, Fang Z, Mcwilliams BC, Muscat-Rivera JE, Kegel MS, Gomes IMO, Mankowski MC, Skelly AN, Melamed JR, Nice TJ, Lee S, Baldridge MT, Smith TJ, Wobus CE, Eisenbarth SC, Williams A, Serebryannyy LA, Douek DC, Weissman D, Chen S, Kreider EF, Craft JE, Wilen CB. Science Translational Medicine, 2026 Jun 24; 18 (855): DOI:10.1126/scitranslmed.aeb4878
      PMID: 42341085
    • Proceeding / Abstract / Poster
      Pan-Gengroup Inhibition of Norovirus Protease by Substrate-Mimetic Small Molecules
      Kovari LC, Amblard F, Patel D, Hafner A, Zhou S, Zhang H, Li C, Azadi N, McBrayer TR, Engel J, Al-Homoudi A, Muczynski M, Vaishnav A, Wobus, PhD CE, Schinazi RF. 2026 Apr 27;
    • Proceeding / Abstract / Poster
      Pan-Gengroup Inhibition of Norovirus Protease by Substrate-Mimetic Small Molecules
      Kovari LC, Amblard F, Patel D, Hafner A, Zhou S, Zhang H, Li C, Azadi N, McBrayer TR, Engel J, Al-Homoudi A, Muczynski M, Vaishnav A, Wobus, PhD CE, Schinazi RF. 2026 Apr 27;
    • Presentation
      Noroviruses as metabolic engineers
      Wobus, PhD C. 2026 May 4;

    Featured News & Stories

         Adam Hafner and Katy Krupinsky
    Department News

    Adam Hafner and Katy Krupinsky receive Rackham Predoctoral Fellowships

    Two Microbiology & Immunology PhD students – Adam Hafner and Katy Krupinsky – are recipients of this year’s Rackham Predoctoral Fellowships.
         Wynter Kell Carnahan
    Department News

    Wynter Kell Carnahan advances research, operations and sustainability

    Science involves many moving parts, and every lab needs a manager who can organize and tackle the challenges that come along with that. For the Wobus lab in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, that person is Wynter Kell Carnahan.
         toxoplasma gondii
    Department News

    A virus/parasite research collaboration receives the 2025 M&I Multiplier Award

    Professors Yifan Wang, a parasitologist, and Christiane Wobus, a virologist, received the 2025 M&I Multiplier Award to pursue their collaborative investigation into how viral endosymbionts shape Toxoplasma virulence, immune evasion, and host interactions. Their project is titled: “Unmasking viral partners in parasites: dissecting the role of endogenous viruses in Toxoplasma gondii pathogenesis.”