Role and contribution
SMI is a governmental institute with eight departments and approximately 300 employees. Helene Norder and Lars Magnius are involved in the supervision of projects related to hepatitis and enteroviruses at the Department of Virology. Helene Norder has 54 articles published in refereed journals. She has conducted original basic research covering hepatitis A, B, C viruses, GBV-C, enteroviruses and Sindbis virus and deposited 741 sequences including 18 complete genomes dealing with these viruses in GenBank. The group performs: 1 molecular epidemiology by limited sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of hepatitis A, B and C viral strains from outbreaks and sporadic cases to identify sources of infection supporting epidemiological investigations and to assess the worldwide diversity of these viruses, 2 reference molecular typing of enteroviruses not typeable by conventional methods by sequencing of the structural VP1 region 3 intratypic characterization of poliovirus also by VP1 sequencing 4 the detection of polio, other entero- and caliciviruses by PCR in sewage The group has an extensive international scientific net-work involving other public health laboratories in former Soviet-Union, Africa including South Africa and Madagascar, CDC, Central America, Venezuela. Bilateral projects are initiated with Iran and Saudi-Arabia.
SMI Solna, SE
