This Week in Virology

Latest Episodes:

TWiV 230: Gene goes to Washington, flu chickens out Apr 28, 2013

Show notes

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

Vincent, Rich, Alan and Kathy review H7N9 infections in China, the debate over patenting genes, and receptor-binding by ferret-transmissible avian H5 influenza virus.

Links for this episode:

Francois Jacob dies (The Loom)
WHO updates on H7N9
H7N9 is unusually dangerous (ScienceInsider)
H7N9 case imported into Taiwan
No H7N9 in poultry farms (Xinhua)
Supreme Court considers gene patents (TheScientist, Nature)
Patent my jeans, not my genes (Michael Wosnick)
Receptor binding by ferret transmissible H5 virus (Nature)
Microscale thermophoresis and bio-layer interferometry (Wikipedia)
Letters read on TWiV 230

Weekly Science Picks

Alan - World Science FestivalRich - 3 years of the sun in 3 minutes Vincent - The Origin of AIDS by Jacques PepinKathy - Wringing out a wet washcloth in space (YouTube)

Listener Pick of the Week

Mark - Will it blend? (iPhone app)Marianne - Enjoy your Cells

Send your virology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twiv@twiv.tv

TWiV 229: Partly cloudy with a high of H7N9 Apr 21, 2013

Show notes

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

Vincent, Rich, Dickson, and Alan review the current status of human infections with avian influenza H7N9 virus.

Links for this episode:

Hilary Koprowski, 96 (NY Times)
Koprowski, Kessin, Racaniello photo
Listen to the Music by Roger Vaughan
Influenza ocular infections (one, two)
H7N9 global concerns (NEJM)
Human infection with H7N9 (NEJM)
WHO Global Alert and Response, H7N9
Avian influenza A(H7N9) virus (WHO)
Novel H7N9 reassortant, implications for Europe (Eurosurveill)
Genetic analysis of H7N9 (Eurosurveill)
H7N9 compared with H7N7 outbreaks (Eurosurveill)
Image credit: Eurosurveillance
Letters read on TWiV 229

Weekly Science Picks

Alan - Nature PastCastRich - How dengue does it Vincent - Squeaky Squeegee Art by Deb SklutDickson - Agritecture

Listener Pick of the Week

Mike - Chemistry in its element: Elements and Compounds

Send your virology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twiv@twiv.tv

TWiV 228: Cal Bears go viral Apr 14, 2013

Show notes

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Britt Glausinger, and Eva Harris

Vincent visits the University of California at Berkeley and speaks with Britt Glaunsinger and Eva Harris about their work on Kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus and dengue virus.

Thanks to the Microbiology Graduate Students for hosting me at their annual symposium, and especially to Emma, Lisa, and Zoe for their wonderful hospitality during my stay.

Links for this episode:

RNA element in IL-6 confers SOX resistance (J Virol)
Dual uORFs regulate herpesviral translation (PLoS Path)
Common viral strategy for RNA degradation (J Virol)
KSHV SOX and Xrn1 together degrade host mRNAs (PLoS Path)
Dengue treatment with Fc null antibodies (PLoS Path)
Early clinical features of dengue in Nicaraguan children (PLoS Negl Trop Dis)
Intrahuman dengue virus diversity (J Virol)
Dynamics of dengue disease severity (Sci Transl Med)

Send your virology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twiv@twiv.tv

TWiV 227: Lacks security and bad poultry Apr 07, 2013

Show notes

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

The complete TWiV team reviews the controversial publication of the HeLa cell genome, a missing vial of Guanarito virus in a BSL-4 facility, and human infections with avian influenza H7N9 virus.

Links for this episode:

Containment plan for poliovirus (pdf, WHO)
Post-eradication of polio
Ocular tropism of respiratory viruses (MMBR)
Rally for medical research
HeLa genome sequence withdrawn (ScienceInsider)
Immortal life sequel (Rebecca Skloot)
HeLa genome sequence published, withdrawn (virology blog)
Vial of Guanarito virus missing (ABC news)
Human H7N9 infections (ProMedMail)
WHO H7N9 updates
China escalates H7N9 response (NY Times)
Brian Kimble on H7N9
Compatibility of H9N2 and H1N1 genes (PNAS)
Letters read on TWiV 227

Weekly Science Picks

Kathy - NIAID YouTube videosAlan - Lego insectsRich - How to see the world in a grain of sand Vincent - Vaccines, viruses, and the anti-vax movementDickson - Edinburgh Science Festival

Listener Pick of the Week

Stephen - Nature iOS appMehul - Voices for vaccines

Send your virology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twiv@twiv.tv

TWiV 226: Taking the viral A train with Terry Dermody Mar 30, 2013

Show notes

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Terry Dermody

Vincent and Dickson speak with Terry Dermody about his career in medicine and virology.

Send your virology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twiv@twiv.tv

TWiV 225: Transcripts from the inbox Mar 23, 2013

Show notes

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Kathy Spindler

Vincent, Rich, and Kathy read listener comments and questions on viral oncotherapy, science communication, a functional HIV cure in an infant, and much more.

Links for this episode:

Plant viruses alter insect behavior (Sci Rep)
Circovirus in Shanghai
Letters read on TWiV 225

Weekly Science Picks

Kathy - Case stories about CoV-EMC (one, two)Rich - The Self-Illusion by Bruce HoodVincent - Moving Targets

Listener Pick of the Week

Liam - eLIFE and RubriqSteve - Plant virus ecology (mp3)Neil - World Immunization Week

Send your virology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twiv@twiv.tv

TWiV 224: A wide receiver and a natural defense Mar 17, 2013

Show notes

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Kathy Spindler

Vincent, Alan, Kathy, and Dickson discuss identification of a cell receptor for the coronavirus-EMC, and the role of interferon-epsilon in protecting the female reproductive tract.

Links for this episode:

Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 is CoV-EMC receptor (Nature)
Receptor for new coronavirus (Nature)
Broad reception for coronavirus (Nature)
SARS 10th anniversary (Science)
Interferon-epsilon protects female reproductive tract (Science)
Families fighting flu (YouTube)
Monitoring infections with online data (TWiM 41)
Natalie Portman was a scientist (NY Times)
Letters read on TWiV 223

Weekly Science Picks

Kathy - 2013 Intel Science Talent Search awardsAlan - Krebs Cycle Rap (CDC)Vincent - Jetpens (favorite one and two)D ickson - Rabies death in organ recipients (CDC)

Listener Pick of the Week

Justin - The DNA StoreJim - Massive Open Online Classrooms Chris - Feedly

Send your virology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twiv@twiv.tv

TWiV 223: EEEV and the serpent Mar 10, 2013

Show notes

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Kathy Spindler

Vincent, Alan, and Kathy discuss new influenza virus NA inhibitors, detection of EEEV antibody and RNA in snakes, and replication of the coronavirus EMC in human airway epithelial cells.

Links for this episode: