(kevin myles, associate professor of entomology) what we're doing now is rapidly transition the work that we have been doing, that we have a large body of knowledge on, over to zika virus. (heather lafrance, senior microbiology it's a good reminder that the work that i do here even as an undergraduate is it does impact a lot of people, especially when viruses like these come up. so now researchers will use misquitos like these to try to answer two important questions about the zika virus. (kevin myles, associate professor of entomology) we're looking at how the mosquitos immune response fights an infection with these viruses. also how does that virus then overcome that immune response to be transmitted to a human host. the other facet of the what kind of immune response does a human host mount when they're infected with zika virus? professor myles says research may never be complete on this, but he has high hopes of what they can accomplish. (kevin myles, associate professor of entomology) we're trying to come up with novel control strategies where we can, basically, prevent the tran

kevin myles - "possibly a vaccine which would prevent a person from becoming infected in the first place." the researchers hope to one day figure out how each infected mosquito's immune system reacts to the virus. those findings would bring them closer to a vaccine. losing weight doesn't have to be boring ... it can be a ton of fun. ahead ... we'll tell you about a new program in the roanoke valley that's helping in the energy efficiency doesn't pick favorites. it should apply to everyone. i'm zach bacon with appalachian power. i'm an energy efficiency coordinator here in virginia. to me, it's all about being able to help our customers learn energy efficiency. this partnership with appalachian power allows us to touch more families in this region that really need it. (woman) when we first moved in, the house wasn't very livable. it had holes in the ceilings. it was very cold. they saved our house. (announcer) we may be a power company, but the true power in our communities as we start another month in 20-16 ... a roanoke business is hoping folks will have a "ton of fun." a ton of fun los

(kevin myles, associate professor of entomology) what we're doing now is rapidly transition the work that we have been doing, that we have a large body of knowledge on, over to zika virus. (heather lafrance, student) it's a good reminder that the work that i do here even as an undergraduate is really important and it does impact a lot of people, especially when viruses like these come up. myles says the research may never be complete, but he hopes to find a vaccination for humans and to stop the spread of the virus through mosquitos. make sure you start your car early this morning and bundle up before you head outside. we also have your latest i-hometown traffic report, coming up next. we're got you covered for valentine's day. coming up after the break we'll tell you about a great deal at a and win winner this morning is dolly white from roanoke you have won a pair of tickets to grandin theatre and a 5 dollar concession stand gift card. scattered snow showers across the area in the mid 30s. the city of danville is gearing up for the winter storm potential leo's been telling you abou

(kevin myles, associate professor of entomology) what we're doing now is rapidly transition the work that we have been doing, that we have a large body of knowledge on, over to zika virus. (heather lafrance, senior microbiology student) it's a good reminder that the work that i do here even as an undergraduate is really important and it does impact a lot of people, especially when viruses like myles says the research may never be complete, but he hopes to find a vaccination for humans and to stop the spread of the virus through danville leaders say they are not backing down in their fight against crime. . last friday's walk to create a crime free community had such a great turn out, the boys and girls club is hosting another one. the director says she wants people to see different aspects of the area, just like the kids that come to the boys and girls club. faith stamps, executive director danville boys and girls club: "the kids that we serve everyday are our next leaders in this community and we need to support these kids now and a lot these kids see these kinds of things unfortunte