معرفی
W. Allen Miller is a Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology at Iowa State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He directs the Miller Lab which investigates molecular mechanisms of RNA viruses, with a focus on protein synthesis (translation) by viral and host mRNAs, and the roles of noncoding viral RNAs. His research spans both plant viruses (for agricultural relevance) and medically important viruses like Zika virus, using plant viruses as valuable models.
Dr. Miller holds multiple affiliations including Plant Sciences Institute Faculty Scholar, Nanovaccine Institute member, and Editor of the Journal of Virology. He is actively involved in several interdepartmental programs: Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology; Genetics & Genomics; Bioinformatics & Computational Biology; Microbiology; and Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology.
His research interests center on understanding viral translation mechanisms, with recent work applying this knowledge to Zika virus and SARS-CoV-2. The Miller Lab employs advanced techniques including ribosome profiling (ribo-seq) to study translation efficiency in plants and has made significant discoveries in viral taxonomy, including identifying novel tombusviruses and maize-associated viruses. Current research directions include investigating viral adaptation to climate change and engineering plant viruses as aphid-transmissible gene therapy vectors for crops.
Analysis of recent publications reveals Miller's work spans viral discovery, translation mechanisms, and computational analysis of viral impacts. His research increasingly bridges plant and human virology, with growing emphasis on climate change effects on viral evolution and applications of viral knowledge to medical contexts.
- Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) (2017) for distinguished contributions to plant virology
- Co-author of international commentary on virology research importance
- Recipient of NIH pilot grant to investigate Zika virus effects on host protein synthesis
- Recipient of seed grant to investigate SARS-CoV-2 translation mechanisms
- Co-PI on $10.3 million DARPA grant to engineer aphid-transmitted viruses for crop protection
Dr. Miller has mentored numerous graduate students, postdocs, and undergraduate researchers, with several advisees receiving prestigious awards. His lab maintains active collaborations with researchers at UC Davis, University of Minnesota, Boyce Thompson Institute, and international institutions. The Miller Lab also manages the 4th floor ATRB research equipment facility and growth chambers, supporting broader campus research infrastructure.
