Michael J. Buchmeier 
Professor of Medicine-Infectious Diseases | UC Irvine
Irvine, CA, UNITED STATES
Michael Buchmeier studies the pathogenesis and control of emerging viral infections, especially coronavirus, for more than 30 years.
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Biography
Professor Buchmeier is interested in the pathogenesis and control of emerging viral infections, the structure and function of viral proteins and glycoproteins, in antiviral drug design, and the mechanisms by which viruses interact with the host during persistent infection. Also of interest are the ways in which viruses contribute to a variety of autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases.
Areas of Expertise (5)
Viral Pathogenesis
Coronaviruses
Viruses
Arenaviruses
Biology of RNA Viruses
Education (3)
McMaster University: PhD, Virology and Immunology 1976
Washington State University: MS, Bacteriology and Public health 1972
Washington State University: BS, Bacteriology and Public health 1970
Affiliations (5)
- American Academy of Microbiology : Fellow
- PLoS Pathogens : Associate editor
- Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews : Editor
- Virology : Associate editor
- Viral Immunology : Editorial board
Links (6)
Media Appearances (5)
Let People Go Outside
Reason online
2020-05-05
"If you're swimming more than 6 feet away from people, you're probably reasonably safe," Michael Buchmeier, a professor of infectious diseases at the University of California, Irvine, told The Guardian. "The virus is very sensitive to ultraviolet light and very sensitive to heating. It's not likely to survive in heat and sunlight."
California closes Orange county beaches over Covid-19 fears – but how risky is a beach day?
The Guardian online
2020-04-30
Michael Buchmeier, UC Irvine professor of medicine and infectious disease expert, noted that some of the gatherings last weekend did appear to be quite dense. He said the main concern is that asymptomatic carriers could be at the beach spreading the virus, predicting there is a 50/50 chance the recent beach crowds could lead to a “blip” in cases.
California university researchers join the global race to fight coronavirus
UCI News online
2020-04-13
Virologists like Mike Buchmeier at UC Irvine’s Center for Virus Research [is] studying exactly how the virus is spreading. Buchmeier, who specializes in researching coronaviruses, has been researching the virus since it was discovered in China in December. … [His] current research, he said in an interview, involves studying the virus’s RNA …. The genetic material also allows Buchmeier to better understand how the virus causes damage in humans. “And then we can use that to think about what would be a suitable vaccine,” Buchmeier said.
Three months into the pandemic, here’s how likely the coronavirus is to infect people
The Washington Post online
2020-03-28
“We thought we cured it. We thought the virus disappeared. Well, the virus didn’t disappear, did it?” said Michael Buchmeier, a UC Irvine virologist who has studied coronaviruses for three decades.
Scientists Zero In on the Novel Coronavirus’s Incubation Period
The Scientist
2020-01-31
It’s also possible that the virus can enter the body through multiple routes, says Buchmeier. “You might assume that it’s a respiratory-only disease,” he says, because the disease primarily causes respiratory symptoms. “But in fact, it can infect via any mucosal surface. And we don’t know what the difference is in the incubation based on an infection by different routes.”
Articles (4)
ICTV Virus Taxonomy Profile: Arenaviridae
Journal of General Virology2019 Members of the family Arenaviridae produce enveloped virions containing genomes consisting of two or three single-stranded RNA segments totalling about 10.5 kb. Arenaviruses can infect mammals, including humans and other primates, snakes, and fish. This is a summary of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) Report on the family Arenaviridae, which is available at www.ictv.global/report/arenaviridae.
Taxonomy of the order Bunyavirales: update 2019
Archives of Virology volume2019 In February 2019, following the annual taxon ratification vote, the order Bunyavirales was amended by creation of two new families, four new subfamilies, 11 new genera and 77 new species, merging of two species, and deletion of one species. This article presents the updated taxonomy of the order Bunyavirales now accepted by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV).
Taxonomy of the order Bunyavirales: second update 2018
Archives of Virology volume2019 In October 2018, the order Bunyavirales was amended by inclusion of the family Arenaviridae, abolishment of three families, creation of three new families, 19 new genera, and 14 new species, and renaming of three genera and 22 species. This article presents the updated taxonomy of the order Bunyavirales as now accepted by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV).
Taxonomy of the order Mononegavirales: second update 2018
Archives of Virology2019 In October 2018, the order Mononegavirales was amended by the establishment of three new families and three new genera, abolishment of two genera, and creation of 28 novel species. This article presents the updated taxonomy of the order Mononegavirales as now accepted by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV).
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