Uncovering Zika's Path to the Placenta
Rafael Michita, a STAT Wunderkind, made a significant observation during his postdoctoral research at Baylor College of Medicine in 2021.
While studying Zika viruses infiltrating placenta cells, Michita noticed thin filaments connecting infected cells to their neighbors.
“When I discussed this finding with my lab mates, they weren’t sure if these connections were worth studying further,” said Michita. “But I thought, they cannot be nothing. I was new to the field and wanted to dig deeper.”
Michita, who specialized in genomic studies in Brazil, had a conviction that these intercellular conduits were key to Zika virus biology, despite being new to the field of cell biology.
Author's summary: Researcher Rafael Michita uncovers Zika's path.