John G. Purdy, PhD

Associate Professor, Immunobiology
Associate Professor, Cancer Biology-GIDP
Faculty Fellow, BIO5 Institute

John Purdy earned an undergraduate degree from Pacific University and a Ph.D. from Penn State University College of Medicine. He performed his graduate studies in the biochemistry of assembly retroviral capsid in the laboratory of Drs. Rebecca Craven and John Flanagan. Afterwards he trained in metabolomics at the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University while working in the laboratories of Drs. Joshua Rabinowitz and Thomas Shenk. He has been a member of the UA faculty since October 2015.

Research Interests: 

All viruses hijack host cell machinery to facilitate their replication. Producing infectious viral progeny relies on host cell metabolic pathways to provide energy and building blocks such as nucleotides, amino acids, and lipids. I am interested in investigating the molecular remodeling of cellular metabolic and lipid environments by viruses. The overall goal of my research in dissecting the complex virus-host metabolism interactions is to guide the development of novel antiviral therapies. 

Degrees
  • BS: Pacific University
  • PhD: Penn State University College of Medicine
Fellowship
  • Post-doctoral Fellow: Princeton University

Recent Publications

2025

Kline, I., R. L. Mokry, Y. Xi, M. Passols Manzano, S. Layesa, N. Sohrab Ali, M. A. Moy, F. D. Goodrum, and J. G. Purdy, "Human cytomegalovirus promotes PC synthesis during early virus replication.", J Virol, vol. 99, issue 9, pp. e0057925, 2025 Sep 23. PMCID: PMC12456142  PMID: 40827916

2024

Mokry, R. L., and J. G. Purdy, "Glucose-independent human cytomegalovirus replication is supported by metabolites that feed upper glycolytic branches.", Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, vol. 121, issue 48, pp. e2412966121, 2024 Nov 26. PMCID: PMC11621781  PMID: 39560652

2023

Ganji, R., J. A. Paulo, Y. Xi, I. Kline, J. Zhu, C. S. Clemen, C. C. Weihl, J. G. Purdy, S. P. Gygi, and M. Raman, "The p97-UBXD8 complex regulates ER-Mitochondria contact sites by altering membrane lipid saturation and composition.", Nat Commun, vol. 14, issue 1, pp. 638, 2023 Feb 06. PMCID: PMC9902492  PMID: 36746962

2022

G, G., H-B. W, A. C,, P. S, C. Pacheco S, P. P, M. E, V. M, K. C, et al., "IFI16 Impacts Metabolic Reprogramming During Human Cytomegalovirus Infection", mBio, vol. 13, issue 3, 2022.

2021

Wise, L. M., Y. Xi, and J. G. Purdy, "Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1α (HIF1α) Suppresses Virus Replication in Human Cytomegalovirus Infection by Limiting Kynurenine Synthesis.", mBio, vol. 12, issue 2, 2021 03 23. PMCID: PMC8092273  PMID: 33758082
Xi, Y., L. Lindenmayer, I. Kline, J. von Einem, and J. G. Purdy, "Human Cytomegalovirus Uses a Host Stress Response To Balance the Elongation of Saturated/Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated Very-Long-Chain Fatty Acids.", mBio, vol. 12, issue 3, 2021 05 04. PMCID: PMC8262922  PMID: 33947752
Sweedo, A., L. M. Wise, Y. Roka-Moiia, F. Teran Arce, S. S Saavedra, J. Sheriff, D. Bluestein, M. J. Slepian, and J. G. Purdy, "Shear-Mediated Platelet Activation is Accompanied by Unique Alterations in Platelet Release of Lipids.", Cell Mol Bioeng, vol. 14, issue 6, pp. 597-612, 2021 Dec. PMCID: PMC8630256  PMID: 34900013

2020

Turner, D. L., D. V. Korneev, J. G. Purdy, A. de Marco, and R. A. Mathias, "The host exosome pathway underpins biogenesis of the human cytomegalovirus virion.", Elife, vol. 9, 2020 09 10. PMID: 32910773

2019

Passalacqua, K. D., J. G. Purdy, and C. E. Wobus, "The inert meets the living: The expanding view of metabolic alterations during viral pathogenesis.", PLoS Pathog, vol. 15, issue 7, pp. e1007830, 2019 Jul. PMCID: PMC6657903  PMID: 31344128
Xi, Y., S. Harwood, L. Wise, and J. G. Purdy, "Human Cytomegalovirus pUL37x1 is Important to Remodeling of Host Lipid Metabolism.", J Virol, 2019 Aug 07. PMID: 31391267