Troy Sutton

Huck Early Career Chair in Virology, Associate Professor of Immunology and Infectious Disease

Troy Sutton

Research Summary

Animal models of influenza; Airborne transmission of influenza viruses; Evolution of pandemic influenza viruses; Highly pathogenic avian influenza; Development of live-attenuated influenza vaccine platforms; High containment BSL3+ research

Huck Affiliations

Links

Most Recent Publications

Defining the transmissible dose 50%, the donor inoculation dose that results in airborne transmission to 50% of contacts, for two pandemic influenza viruses in ferrets

C. Field, K.M. Septer, D.R. Patel, V.C Weaver, D.G. Sim, R. Restori, Troy Sutton, 2025, bioRxiv

Pandemic risk stemming from the bovine H5N1 outbreak: an account of the knowns and unknowns.

A Lowen, A Baker, A Bowman, A García-Sastre, S Hensley, S Lakdawala, L Moncla, M Nelson, A Pekosz, R Poulson, W Puryear, J Runstadler, Troy Sutton, S Tompkins, R Webby, 2025, Journal of virology on p. e0005225

Vaccine-induced NA immunity decreases viral shedding, but does not disrupt chains of airborne transmission for the 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus in ferrets

K. M. Septer, T. A. Heinly, D. G. Sim, D. R. Patel, A. E. Roder, W. Wang, M. Chung, K. E.E. Johnson, E. Ghedin, Troy Sutton, 2024, mBio on p. e0216124

Combined immunity to hemagglutinin and neuraminidase induced by vaccination or infection results in additive reductions in airborne transmission of the 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus in ferrets

K Septer, T Heinly, D Sim, D Patel, A Roder, W Wang, M Chung, Johnson KEE, E Ghedin, Troy Sutton, 2024, Proceedings of NIAID Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Response 3rd Annual Conference

Defining the Role of Mutations Linked to Transmission of H7N9 Viruses in Ferrets.

Devanshi Patel, Troy Sutton, 2024, Proceedings of NIAID Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Response 3rd Annual Conference

Pre-existing immunity to seasonal influenza viruses reduces the severity of H5N1 infection in ferrets.

K Restori, Troy Sutton, 2024, Proceedings of NIAID Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Response 3nd Annual Conference

Risk assessment of a highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza virus from mink

Katherine H. Restori, Kayla M. Septer, Cassandra J. Field, Devanshi R. Patel, David VanInsberghe, Vedhika Raghunathan, Anice C. Lowen, Troy C. Sutton, 2024, Nature Communications on p. 4112

Intranasal SARS-CoV-2 RBD decorated nanoparticle vaccine enhances viral clearance in the Syrian hamster model

Devanshi R. Patel, Allen M. Minns, Derek G. Sim, Cassandra J. Field, Abigail E. Kerr, Talia A. Heinly, Erin H. Luley, Randall M. Rossi, Carol M. Bator, Ibrahim M. Moustafa, Elizabeth B. Norton, Susan L. Hafenstein, Scott E. Lindner, Troy C. Sutton, 2024, Microbiology spectrum

Characterization of Mutations Enriched During Sequential Transmission of H7N9 Influenza Virus in Ferrets

Troy Sutton, 2023, Proceedings of NIAID Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Response 2nd Annual Conference

Virology under the Microscope—a Call for Rational Discourse

F Goodrum, A Lowen, S Lakdawala, J Alwine, A Casadevall, M Imperiale, W Atwood, D Avgousti, J Baines, B Banfield, L Banks, S Bhaduri-McIntosh, D Bhattacharya, D Blanco-Melo, D Bloom, A Boon, S Boulant, C Brandt, A Broadbent, C Brooke, C Cameron, S Campos, P Caposio, G Chan, A Cliffe, J Coffin, K Collins, B Damania, M Daugherty, K Debbink, J DeCaprio, T Dermody, J Dikeakos, D DiMaio, R Dinglasan, W Duprex, R Dutch, N Elde, M Emerman, L Enquist, B Fane, A Fernandez-Sesma, M Flenniken, L Frappier, M Frieman, K Frueh, M Gack, M Gaglia, T Gallagher, D Galloway, A García-Sastre, A Geballe, B Glaunsinger, S Goff, A Greninger, M Hancock, E Harris, N Heaton, M Heise, E Heldwein, B Hogue, S Horner, E Hutchinson, J Hyser, W Jackson, R Kalejta, J Kamil, S Karst, F Kirchhoff, D Knipe, T Kowalik, M Lagunoff, L Laimins, R Langlois, A Lauring, B Lee, D Leib, S Liu, R Longnecker, C Lopez, M Luftig, J Lund, B Manicassamy, G McFadden, M McIntosh, A Mehle, W Miller, I Mohr, C Moody, N Moorman, A Moscona, B Mounce, J Munger, K Münger, E Murphy, M Naghavi, J Nelson, C Neufeldt, J Nikolich, C O'Connor, A Ono, W Orenstein, D Ornelles, J Ou, J Parker, C Parrish, A Pekosz, P Pellett, J Pfeiffer, R Plemper, S Polyak, J Purdy, D Pyeon, M Quinones-Mateu, R Renne, C Rice, J Schoggins, R Roller, C Russell, R Sandri-Goldin, M Sapp, L Schang, S Schmid, S Schultz-Cherry, B Semler, T Shenk, G Silvestri, V Simon, G Smith, J Smith, K Spindler, M Stanifer, K Subbarao, W Sundquist, M Suthar, Troy Sutton, A Tai, V Tarakanova, B tenOever, S Tibbetts, S Tompkins, Z Toth, K van Doorslaer, M Vignuzzi, N Wallace, D Walsh, M Weekes, J Weinberg, M Weitzman, S Weller, S Whelan, E White, B Williams, C Wobus, S Wong, A Yurochko, 2023, Journal of Virology on p. e0008923

Most-Cited Papers

The pandemic threat of emerging H5 and H7 avian influenza viruses

Troy C. Sutton, 2018, Viruses

Novel reassortant human-like H3N2 and H3N1 influenza A viruses detected in pigs are virulent and antigenically distinct from swine viruses endemic to the United States

D Rajão, P Gauger, T Anderson, N Lewis, E Abente, M Killian, D Perez, Troy Sutton, J Zhang, A Vincent, 2015, Journal of Virology on p. 11213-11222

Development of animal models against emerging coronaviruses: From SARS to MERS coronavirus

Troy C. Sutton, Kanta Subbarao, 2015, Virology on p. 247-258

Enhanced inflammation in New Zealand white rabbits when MERS-CoV reinfection occurs in the absence of neutralizing antibody

Katherine V. Houser, Andrew J. Broadbent, Lisa Gretebeck, Leatrice Vogel, Elaine W. Lamirande, Troy Sutton, Kevin W. Bock, Mahnaz Minai, Marlene Orandle, Ian N. Moore, Kanta Subbarao, 2017, PLoS Pathogens

Protective efficacy of influenza group 2 hemagglutinin stem-fragment immunogen vaccines

Troy C. Sutton, Saborni Chakraborty, Vamsee V.A. Mallajosyula, Elaine W. Lamirande, Ketaki Ganti, Kevin W. Bock, Ian N. Moore, Raghavan Varadarajan, Kanta Subbarao, 2017, npj Vaccines

In vitro neutralization is not predictive of prophylactic efficacy of broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies CR6261 and CR9114 against lethal H2 influenza virus challenge in mice

Troy C. Sutton, Elaine W. Lamirande, Kevin W. Bock, Ian N. Moore, Wouter Koudstaal, Muniza Rehman, Gerrit Jan Weverling, Jaap Goudsmit, Kanta Subbarao, 2017, Journal of Virology

Risk assessment of a highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza virus from mink

Katherine H. Restori, Kayla M. Septer, Cassandra J. Field, Devanshi R. Patel, David VanInsberghe, Vedhika Raghunathan, Anice C. Lowen, Troy C. Sutton, 2024, Nature Communications on p. 4112

Transmission and protection against reinfection in the ferret model with the SARS-CoV-2 USA-WA1/2020 reference isolate

Devanshi Patel, Cassandra Field, Kayla Septer, Derek G. Sim, Matthew J. Jones, T Heinly, Thomas Vanderford, Elizabeth A. McGraw, Troy Sutton, 2021, Journal of Virology on p. e0223220

Robustness of the Ferret Model for Influenza Risk Assessment Studies: a Cross-Laboratory Exercise

Jessica A. Belser, Eric H.Y. Lau, Wendy Barclay, Ian G. Barr, Hualan Chen, Ron A.M. Fouchier, Masato Hatta, Sander Herfst, Yoshihiro Kawaoka, Seema S. Lakdawala, Leo Yi Yang Lee, Gabriele Neumann, Malik Peiris, Daniel R. Perez, Charles Russell, Kanta Subbarao, Troy C. Sutton, Richard J. Webby, Huanliang Yang, Hui Ling Yen, 2022, mBio

Development of an alternative modified live influenza B virus vaccine

Jefferson J.S. Santos, Courtney Finch, Troy Sutton, Adebimpe Obadan, Isabel Aguirre, Zhimin Wan, Diego Lopez, Ginger Geiger, Ana Silvia Gonzalez-Reiche, Lucas Ferreri, Daniel R. Perez, 2017, Journal of Virology

News Articles Featuring Troy Sutton

Dec 05, 2024

The Bird Flu Virus Is One Mutation Away from Getting More Dangerous

The H5N1 strain spreading among U.S. cows is only one specific mutation away from more easily binding to human cells.

Full Article

Nov 13, 2024

Is It Time to Worry About Bird Flu?

H5N1 avian influenza, more commonly known as bird flu, has infected more than 100 million birds in the U.S. and almost 500 dairy cattle herds across 15 states. Despite its prolific spread among animals, federal health authorities maintain that the risk to the U.S. public remains low.

Full Article

Oct 30, 2024

1st US case of bird flu in a pig raises concerns over potential human threat

A pig at an Oregon farm was found to have bird flu, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday. It's the first time the virus has been detected in U.S. swine and raises concerns about bird flu's potential to become a human threat.

Full Article

Aug 21, 2024

How U.S. Farms Could Start a Bird Flu Pandemic

The virus is poised to become a permanent presence in cattle, raising the odds of an eventual outbreak among people.

Full Article

Aug 06, 2024

I’m About to Go on a Big Trip. Should I Be Worried About Bird Flu?

I'm planning to climb a bunch of fourteeners in Colorado, but bird flu is all over the state right now—is it safe for me to go?

Full Article

Jul 24, 2024

With the U.S. bird flu outbreak uncontained, scientists see growing risks

For nearly four months, the spread of bird flu in the nation’s dairy cattle has stoked fears that, if left unchecked, the virus could eventually unleash a pandemic.

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Jul 19, 2024

Troy Sutton named Huck Early Career Chair in Virology

Troy Sutton, assistant professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State, has been awarded a Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Early Career Chair in Virology.

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Jun 06, 2024

What to know about the first human case of H5N2 bird flu

H5N2, which was confirmed in a man in Mexico who died, is just one of several kinds of avian influenza viruses. It’s deadly for poultry, but does it pose a significant risk to humans?

Full Article

May 16, 2024

H5N1 virus from 2022 mink outbreak capable of inefficient airborne transmission

Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza was detected in dairy cattle for the first time in the United States in March, with nine states reporting outbreaks by May. While the method of transmission among cattle is currently unknown, new research demonstrates that a related strain of H5N1, which caused an outbreak in farmed mink in 2022, could transmit through the air to a limited number of ferrets.

Full Article

Apr 24, 2024

Dairy Cows Transported Between States Must Now Be Tested for Bird Flu

Since a new form of bird flu arrived in 2022, federal officials have sought to reassure Americans that the threat to the public remained low.

Full Article

Apr 22, 2024

Bird Flu Is Infecting More Mammals. What Does That Mean for Us?

H5N1, an avian flu virus, has killed tens of thousands of marine mammals, and infiltrated American livestock for the first time. Scientists are working quickly to assess how it is evolving and how much of a risk it poses to humans.

Full Article

Mar 12, 2024

New nasal vaccine platform helps clear COVID-19 infections in an animal model

A newly developed intranasal vaccine candidate helps to clear COVID-19 infections more quickly than controls in pre-clinical testing, according to a recent study.

Full Article

Jul 23, 2022

I study coronavirus in a highly secured biosafety lab – here's why I feel safer here than in the world outside

As I dilute the coronavirus to infect cultured cells, I hear the reassuring sound of purified air being blown by my respirator into my breathing space. There are three layers of nitrile and protective materials between me and the virus, and every part of my body is wrapped in protective equipment.

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Apr 29, 2022

Contagious Bird Flu Presents Low Risk to People After Colorado Case

Avian influenza has killed millions of birds in U.S. and infected one known person

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Oct 21, 2021

Preparing for potential pandemics is focus of new federal grant to Penn State

Researchers at Penn State have received a grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to study H7N9 with a goal of developing new and fundamental knowledge of virus mutations that could indicate the potential for transmissibility in humans. 

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Jun 22, 2020

This supersafe labs protects researchers as they race to develop a coronavirus vaccine

It's quiet in the laboratory, almost peaceful. But I'm holding live SARS-CoV-2 in my hands and this virus is not to be taken lightly.

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Jul 03, 2025

Inside a High-Security Virus Lab

Inside the second-most secure type of biosafety lab in the U.S. at Penn State

Full Article