Professor and Department Head of Pathobiology

Education: Ph.D., Iowa State University (Veterinary Microbiology)

Areas of Expertise

Viral pathogenesis—molecular mechanisms of viral virulence and host range. Functional pathogen genomics.

Biography

Professor Rock was formerly research leader in exotic viral diseases at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center in New York, a position he held for 15 years. There he developed and led major research initiatives on foreign animal diseases, pathogen functional genomics, and rapid pathogen detection for the Agricultural Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. His research has focused on the molecular mechanisms underlying viral virulence and host range, with particular emphasis on high-consequence viral diseases such as African swine fever, classical swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease, rinderpest, and exotic poxviruses.

Professor Rock earned a bachelor\'s degree from Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, and a PhD in veterinary microbiology from Iowa State University, Ames. He completed a post-doctoral fellowship in molecular virology at the Wistar Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and held faculty positions at North Dakota State University, Fargo, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln before joining the Plum Island Animal Disease Center in 1989. In 2004 he became a professor with the Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science and the Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research at the University of Connecticut, Storrs.

Selected Publications

Articles or Book Chapters:

Risatti GR, Holinka LG, Lu Z, Kutish GF, Tulman ER, French RA, Hyang Sur J, Rock DL and Borca MV. (2005) Mutation of E1 Glycoprotein of Classical Swine Fever Virus Affects Viral Virulence in Swine. Virology 343(1) 116-127.

Budowle B, Schutzer S, Ascher MS, Atlas RM, Burans JP, Chakraborty R, Dunn, JJ, Franz DR, Fraser CM, Leighton TJ, Morse SA, Murch RS, Ravel J, Rock DL, Slezak TR, Velsko SP, Walsh AC and Walters RA. (2005) Toward a System of Microbial Forensics: from Sample Collection to Interpretation of Evidence. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 71(5) 2209-2213.

Carrillo C, Delhon GA, Tulman ER, Lu Z, Carreno A, Vagnozzi A, Kutish G and Rock DL. (2005) Comparative Genomics of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus. J Virol 79(10)6487-6504.

Afonso CL, Delhon GA, Tulman ER, Lu Z, Zsak A, Becerra VM, Kutish GF and Rock DL. (2005) The Genome of Deepox Virus. J Virol. 79(2):966-977.

Risatti GR, Borca MV, Kutish GF, Lu Z, Holinka LG, French RA, Tulman E and Rock DL. (2005) The E2 Glycoprotein of Classical Swine Fever Virus is a Virulence Determinant in Swine. J Virol. 79(6):3787-3796.

Burrage TG, Lu Z, Neilan JG, Rock DL and Zsak L. (2004) African Swine Fever Virus Multigene Family 360 Genes Affect Virus Reprlication and Generalization of Infection in Ornithodoros Porcinus Ticks. J Virol 78(5):2445-2453.

Neilan JG, Zsak L, Lu Z, Burrage TG, Kutish GF and Rock DL. (2004) Neutralizing Antibodies to African Swine Fever Virus Proteins p30, p54 and p72 are not Sufficient for Antibody-Mediated Protection. Virology. 319:337-342.

Afonso CL, Piccone ME, Zaffuto KM, Neilan JG, Kutish GF, Lu Z, Balinsky CA, Gibb TR, Bean TJ, Zsak L and Rock DL. (2004) African Swine Fever Virus Multigene Family 360 and 530 Genes Affect Host Interferon Response. J Virol. 78(4):1858-1864.

Afonso CL, Tulman ER, Delhon G, Lu Z, Viljoen GJ, Wallace DB, Kutish GF and Rock DL. (2006) Genome of Crocodilepox Virus. J Virol 80(10) 4991-5006.

Chang ACY, Zsak L, Feng Y, Mosseri R, Lu Q, Kowalski P, Laegreid WW, Rock DL and Cohen SN. (2006) Phenotype-Based Identification of Host Genes Required for Replication of African Swine Fever Virus. J Virol 80 (17) 8705-8717.

Delhon G, Afonso CL, Tulman ER, Lu Z, Becnel JJ, Moser BA, Kutish GF and Rock DL. (2006) Genome of Invertebrate Iridescent Virus 3 (Mosquito Iridescent Virus). J Virol 80 (17) 8439-8449.

Tulman ER, Delhon G, Afonso CL, Lu Z, Zsak L, Sandybaev NT, Kerembekova UZ, Zaitsev VL, Kutish GF and Rock DL. (2006) Genome of Horsepox Virus. J Virol, 80 (18) 9244-9258.

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Link(s)

http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu/faculty/path/dlrock.html

Contact Information

Office

2522 Veterinary Medicine Basic Sciences Building

Mailing Address

2001 S. Lincoln Ave.
Urbana, IL 61802
MC-002

Phone

217-244-0533

Email

dlrock[AT]uiuc[DOT]edu