This Week in Virology

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TWiV 369: Camel runny noses and other JNK Dec 27, 2015

Show notes

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Kathy Spindler

A swarm of virologists discusses testing of a MERS coronavirus vaccine for camels, and how a neuronal stress pathway reactivates herpes simplex virus.

Links for this episode

MERS coronavirus vaccine for camels (Science)
WHO MERS summary
Neuronal stress pathway and herpes simplex virus reactivation (Cell Host Micr)
Stress flips a chromatin switch (Cell Host Micr)
How herpes simplex virus reactivates (UNC press release)
Histone antibodies database
New antibody portal (UNC press release)
Image credit
Letters read on TWiV 369

This episode is sponsored by Clinical Virology Symposium

Weekly Science Picks

Alan - SpaceX Falcon 9 landing Vincent - Scientists: Engage the public! and Lego contest winnersKathy - Google Ngram viewer

Listener Picks

Dennis - Americapox: The missing plagueMark - WeatherSpark and Quasispecies theory

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TWiV 368: Infected, you will be Dec 20, 2015

Show notes

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Kathy Spindler

A plaque of virologists explores the biology of Zika virus and recent outbreaks, and the contribution of a filamentous bacteriophage to the development of biofilms.

Links for this episode

More cowbell (Wikipedia)
Microcephaly in Brazil (Outbreak News)
Non-vector borne Zika transmission (EID)
Zika virus outside Africa (EID)
Zika virus possible sexual transmission (EID)
Zika virus in saliva (J Clin Virol)
Dengue's cousin Zika (Micr Inf)
Filamentous phage promote biofilm assembly (Cell Host Micr)
Biofilm history (MSU)
Pseudomonas phage Pf1
Image credit
Letters read on TWiV 368

This episode is sponsored by Clinical Virology Symposium and ASM Microbe

Weekly Science Picks

Alan - Twelve days of norovirus Vincent - This Week in EvolutionRich - In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton SidesKathy - Kajanjian lecture on Frederick Novy and Milestones ceremony at UM

Listener Picks

Peter - What if anti-vax, anti-science movement won?Stephen - Scandalous origin of vaccinesPritesh - Absurd way of doing business

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TWiV 367: Two sides to a Coyne Dec 13, 2015

Show notes

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Kathy Spindler

Guests: Carolyn Coyne and Coyne Drummond

Two Coynes join the TWiV overlords to explain their three-dimensional culture model of polarized intestinal cells for studying enterovirus infection.

Links for this episode

Carolyn and placentas on TWiV 193
Three-dimensional cell culture model (mSphere)
Bioreactor video (JoVE)
Neurovirologist Richard T. Johnson, 84 (Hopkins and virology blog)
Tardigrade HGT disputed (BioRxiv)
Exaptation of archaeal virus capsid protein from Cas4 (Biol Dir)
Image credit
Letters read on TWiV 367

This episode is sponsored by ASM Microbe

Weekly Science Picks

Kathy - Tardigrade genome sequence (video)Alan - Antibiotic action nonprofit group Vincent - Ex Machina and genome editing moratoriumRich - Launch photography by Ben CooperKathy - HIV life cycle in video (paper)Dickson - 2015 Nobel Lectures Physiology or MedicineCarolyn - Metapneumovirus entry

Listener Picks

Tom - Global host-pathogen databaseTrudy - Madame Curie by Eve Curie

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TWiV 366: Doctorates down under Dec 06, 2015

Show notes

Host: Vincent Racaniello

Guests: Carla Giles, Zoe Dyson, Brianna McLean, and Caitlin O'Brien

In Melbourne, Australia, Vincent speaks with four PhD students about their research projects and what it's like to get a doctorate down under.

Video of this episode: view at YouTube

This episode is sponsored by ASM Microbe and ASM Biodefense.

Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@twiv.tv

TWiV is a MicrobeTV Production

TWiV 365: Blood, feuds, and a foodborne disease Nov 29, 2015

Show notes

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Kathy Spindler

For a TWiV Thanksgiving, Vincent, Alan, and Kathy trace the feud over genome editing, a new virus discovered in human blood, and the origins of hepatitis A virus.

Links for this episode

Battle over genome editing (Wired) 10:05
First description of CRISPR in E. coli (J Bacteriol) 14:00
Cas genes identified (Mol Micro) 14:20
CRISPR-Cas provides immunity to bacterial viruses (Science) 15:35
Cas9-crRNA complex mediates DNA cleavage (PNAS) 16:55
Dual RNA-guided DNA endonuclease in bacterial immunity (Science) 17:50
Genome engineering using CRISPR/Cas (Science) 18:50
Cpf1 endonuclease (Cell) 23:10
Classification of CRISPR/Cas systems (Nat Rev Micro) 23:50
Summit on gene editing 21:25
Novel human virus in transfusion recipients (mBio) 27:00
Origins of hepatitis A virus in small mammals (PNAS) 55:05
Image credit
Letters read on TWiV 365 7:00, 1:20:35

This episode is sponsored by ASM Microbe, ASM Biodefense, and the 32nd Clinical Virology Symposium. (1:10, 1:18:30)

Weekly Science Picks 1:36:30

Kathy - Tardigrade genome sequence (video)Alan - XKCD on Gates polio eradication site Vincent - Lifting the Impenetrable Veil by Charles Calisher

Listener Picks

Judi - Jennifer Doudna's Ted TalkRamon - Map of the Sky

Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@twiv.tv

TWiV 364: It's not SARS 2.0 Nov 22, 2015

Show notes

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, and Kathy Spindler

Guests: Ralph Baric and Vineet Menachery

Vincent, Rich, and Kathy speak with Ralph and Vineet about their research on the potential of SARS-like bat coronaviruses to infect human cells and cause disease in mice.

Links for this episode

Zoonotic potential of SARS-like bat viruses (Nature)
SARS-CoV susceptibility loci via collaborative cross (PLoS Genetics) 47:00, 57:25
Ebright and Wain-Hobson quotes (Nature) 1:17:20
Misleading press release (UNC) 1:24:45
Super powerful SARS 2.0 (not!) (Motherboard)
SARS-like bat virus can jump without mutating (not!) (Daily Mail) 1:26:30
Photo credit
Letters read on TWiV 364 1:47:40

This episode is sponsored by Mt. Sinai Department of Microbiology (2:10), ASM Education (33:25), and the 32nd Clinical Virology Symposium (1:51:30)

Timestamps by Jennifer. Thanks!

Weekly Science Picks 1:53:00

Kathy - California Dept of Public Health Rich - Leafy greens on space station Vincent - Mechanical keyboards and TWiV on Perfect your podcast

Listener Picks

Jesse - Networking for Nerds by Alaina G. LevineRussell - Worldmapper

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TWiV 363: Eat flu and dyad Nov 15, 2015

Show notes

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Kathy Spindler

The TWiVers reveal influenza virus replication in the ferret mammary gland and spread to a nursing infant, and selection of transmissible influenza viruses in the soft palate.

Links for this episode

Photos of my visit to OHSU (Facebook) 6:30
Folta departs (Facebook) 9:25
T-VEC approved for melanoma (FDA) 14:45
Talimogene laherparepvec (Wikipedia) 15:10
T-VEC phase III trial (J Clin Oncol) 17:35
How drugs are named (PopSci) 16:35
Influenza transmission in mother-child dyad (PLoS Path) 23:10
Soft palate and influenza transmission (Nature) 41:00
Blausen 0872 UpperRespiratorySystem" by BruceBlaus. When using this image in external sources it can be cited as:Blausen.com staff. "Blausen gallery 2014". Wikiversity Journal of Medicine. DOI:10.15347/wjm/2014.010. ISSN 20018762. - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Commons." target="_blank">Image credit
Letters read on TWiV 363 1:09:30

This episode is sponsored by Mt. Sinai Department of Microbiology, ASM Education, and ASM Biodefense and Emerging Diseases Conference

Timestamps by Jennifer. Thanks!

Weekly Science Picks 1:29:00

Kathy - Insect gearsAlan - Bye, Bye, Ebola Rich - Hedy Lamarr Vincent - Should we resurrect extinct species?

Listener Picks

Jennie - Bye, Bye, EbolaPeter - Epidemics on edX

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TWiV 362: Gotta catch 'em all Nov 08, 2015

Show notes

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Kathy Spindler

With their usual verve, the virus virtuosos illuminate a new method to identify all the viral nucleic acids in a sample, and regulation of viral gene expression by codon usage.

Links for this episode

Virome capture sequencing (mBio) 15:40
Codon usage regulates viral gene expression (PNAS) 40:00
Harold S. Ginsberg (Wikipedia) 7:15
Letters read on TWiV 362 6:50, 1:03:20

This episode is sponsored by ASM Education: ASM MOOC 5:45

Timestamps by Jennifer. Thanks!

Weekly Science Picks 1:39:20

Kathy - Adam Savage, Andy Weir and Chris Hadfield talk about The MartianAlan - Project Apollo photo archive - and video Rich - Watch A Bowling Ball And Feather Falling In A VacuumDickson - California drought Vincent - Does AAAS care about Ebola anymore?

Listener Picks

Anonymous - Lives saved by vaccinationPaul - Science articles: A guideJudi - How a virus invades your body

Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@twiv.tv

TWiV 361: Zombie viruses on the loose Nov 01, 2015

Show notes

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Alan Dove, and Rich Condit

The TWiVsters discuss Frederick Novy's return from retirement to recover a lost rat virus, and evidence for persistence of Ebolavirus in semen.

Links for this episode

Frederick Novy and the rat virus (Ann Int Med) 18:20
The rat virus (J Inf Dis) 22:55
Recovery of the rat virus (J Inf Dis) 35:20
Ebola sitrep 42:25
Meningitis in Glaswegian Ebolavirus nurse (ProMedMail, Medscape) 45:50
Sexual transmission of Ebolavirus (NEJM) 50:25
Ebolavirus RNA persistence in semen (NEJM) 1:04:25
Airplane banner falls into Hudson River (jpg)
Image credit
Letters read on TWiV 361 7:25, 1:13:25

This episode is sponsored by ASM Education: ASM MOOC 3:50

Weekly Science Picks 1:27:05

Alan - Sticky Rich - Arthur C. Clarke predicts the Internet (so did Vannevar Bush)Dickson - Nikon Small World Photomicrography winners Vincent - Pat Schloss on microbiome initiative

Listener Picks

Awkward Skeptic - 16 year old wins Google prize for detecting Ebolavirus

Timestamps by Jennifer. Thanks!

Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@twiv.tv

TWiV 360: From Southeastern Michigan Oct 25, 2015

Show notes

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Kathy Spindler

Guests: Michael Imperiale, Adam Lauring, and Akira Ohno

Vincent visits the University of Michigan where he and Kathy speak with Michael, Adam, and Akira about polyomaviruses, virus evolution, and virus assembly, on the occasion of naming the department of Microbiology & Immunology a Milestones in Microbiology site.

Links for this episode