A genome wide RNA interference screening method to identify host factors that modulate Influenza A virus replication

The use of genome wide RNA interference (RNAi) screens to investigate host-virals interactions has revealed unexpected connections that have improved our understanding of viral pathogenesis and cell biology. This work describes the use of an RNAi screening method employing an immunofluorescence image-based strategy and influenza A virus. We find this approach to be readily implemented, scalable and amenable to the direct evaluation of a variety of viral lifecycles.

► High throughput genetic screening method for investigating virus-host interactions.
► Image-based readout for high throughput screening.
► Discussion of siRNA screen optimization and analysis.