This Week in Virology

Latest Episodes:

TWiV 211: Viruses r us Dec 16, 2012

Show notes

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

The TWiV four discuss an mRNA-based influenza vaccine, and a phage tubulin that forms a filamentous array in the host cell that is needed for positioning viral DNA.

Links for this episode:

mRNA vaccine against influenza (Nat Biotech)
Phage tubulin assembles dynamic filaments (Cell)
Viral skeleton (The Scientist)
Not unorganized bags of enzymes (TWiM 28)
Bacterial cytoskeleton (FEMS Micro Rev)
Triangulation number (jpg)
Letters read on TWiV 211

Weekly Science Picks

Rich - Ocean Global Shark Tracker Alan - The Field Book ProjectKathy - How to manipulate an army of zombies Vincent - Science sculpture

Listener Pick of the Week

Stephen - WEHI.TV

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

TWiV 210: Bond, covalent bond Dec 09, 2012

Show notes

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

The complete TWiV team reviews identification of the cell receptor for hepatitis B and D viruses, and the cell enzyme that cleaves the genome-linked protein from picornaviral RNA.

Links for this episode:

HBV and HDV cell receptor (eLIFE)
Getting to grips with hepatitis (eLIFE)
Sodium taurocholate
Poliovirus hijacks DNA repair enzyme (PNAS)
Letters read on TWiV 210

Weekly Science Picks

Rich - Vendée GlobeDickson - Earth at nightAlan - Trophée Jules VerneKathy - Science cookies Vincent - Trilobite Glassworks

Listener Pick of the Week

Ken - Spanish flu pandemic model (teacher's guide)Jim - Santa Cruz Science Communication Program (also see SHERP)

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

TWiV 209: When the virus hits the fans Dec 02, 2012

Show notes

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

Vincent, Dickson, Alan, and Kathy answer listener email about deformed wing virus, West Nile virus, FluMist, influenza in Canada, viruses and the tree of life, and more.

Links for this episode:

Postcard from the ultimate student athlete (pdf)
Fidelity of protein synthesis (Biochemistry, 5th ed.)
Letters read on TWiV 209

Weekly Science Picks

Dickson - Cassini web site and Mars reconnaissance orbiter Alan - OneZoom Tree of LifeKathy - Viral tumor suppressor structure (Cell)Vincent - Spot the Station

Listener Pick of the Week

Ricardo - Once upon a time: The possible story of virusesJim - Encode, myIDP, Experiment Reproduction podcastsMark - MoMath

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

TWiV 208: The biomedical research crisis with Jon Yewdell Nov 25, 2012

Show notes

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Jon Yewdell

Vincent and is joined by special guest Jon Yewdell to discuss solutions for ending the current crisis in American biomedical research.

Links for this episode:

How to succeed in science: Taking the plunge (Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol)
How to succeed in science: Making discoveries (Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol)
How to succeed in science (YouTube)
Resources for graduate students and postdocs
Science career cartoons by Alexander Dent

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

TWiV 207: Silk sheets and viral infidelity Nov 19, 2012

Show notes

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Matt Frieman, and Kathy Spindler

Vincent, Alan, Matt, and Kathy review the use of silk to stabilize antibiotics and a viral vaccine, and an impaired-fidelity vaccine against SARS coronavirus.

Links for this episode:

Silk stabilization of antibiotics and vaccines (PNAS)
Impaired-fidelity coronavirus vaccine (Nature Medicine)
Select agent status and SARS therapies (Spoonful of Medicine)
Letters read on TWiV 207

Weekly Science Picks

Matt - Virus-associated p yramids (slide #11)Alan - Similarities of wave behavior (YouTube)Kathy - The glass transitionVincent - US cattle country in uproar at virus lab plans (BBC)

Listener Pick of the Week

Ricardo - Blackawton bees and Science is for everyone (TED)Tony - Biophilia by Bjork

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

TWiV #206 - Viral turducken Nov 11, 2012

Show notes

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

Vincent, Alan, Dickson, and Kathy discuss how the innate immune response to viral infection influences the production of pluripotent stem cells, and the diverse mobilome of giant viruses.

Links for this episode:

Innate immunity and nuclear reprogramming (Cell)
Viruses affect cell reprogramming (The Scientist)
Cell-penetrating peptides (Trends Mol Med)
Provirophages and transpovirons (PNAS)
Organic Lake photo and map
Letters read on TWiV 206

Weekly Science Picks

Alan - Locust by Jeffery A. LockwoodDickson - Nikon Small World Contest 2012Kathy - Influenza EncyclopediaVincent - Dengue fever sweeps India (NY Times)

Listener Pick of the Week

Allison - Fred Guterl on The Daily Show

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

TWiV 205: Genetic conflict with Harmit Malik Oct 25, 2012

Show notes

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Harmit Malik

Vincent is joined by special guest Harmit Malik to discuss his work on the evolution of genetic conflict.

Links for this episode:

Harmit on YouTube
Retroviruses and mammalian placentation (PNAS)
Paleovirology (Curr Opin Virol)
Evolution among AIM2-like receptors (J Exp Med)
Poxvirus genomic accordions (Cell)
Letters read on TWiV 205

Weekly Science Picks

Vincent - Candidates' answers to science questions

Listener Pick of the Week

Steve - Mural of Henrietta Lacks story (Microsoft Silverlight required)

Send your virology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twiv@twiv.tv. You can also post articles that you would like us to discuss at microbeworld.org and tag them with twiv.

TWiV 204: M m m my corona Oct 21, 2012

Show notes

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Matt Frieman, and Kathy Spindler

Vincent, Alan, Matt and Kathy review isolation of a new coronavirus from two patients in the Middle East, and expansion of the enteric virome during simian AIDS.

Subscribe to TWiV (free) in iTunes, at the Zune Marketplace, by the RSS feed, by email, or listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app.

Links for this episode:

Novel coronavirus (virology blog one, two)
PCR assay for novel CoV (Eurosurveillance)
Isolation of novel coronavirus (NEJM)
SARS CoV now a select agent (Federal Register, pdf)
My Sharona
Pathogenic SIV infection associated with expansion of gut virome (Cell)
Letters read on TWiV 204

Weekly Science Picks

Alan - Map of the Wind Matt - Dark Side of the Earth; Insensitive guide to thriving in your Ph.D.; Gary Vanerchuck (YouTube)Kathy - How much does a shadow weigh? and Slinky drop answerVincent - A Parasite's Parasites; All the cool kids are on arXiv

Listener Pick of the Week

Nissin - Jungle Jim (1948)

Send your virology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twiv@twiv.tv. You can also post articles that you would like us to discuss at microbeworld.org and tag them with twiv.

TWiV 203 - Mark Challberg, a cold room kind of guy Oct 14, 2012

Show notes

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, and Mark Challberg

Vincent and Rich meet up with Mark Challberg to talk about his scientific career studying viral DNA replication, and his transition to an NIH Program Officer.

Subscribe to TWiV (free) in iTunes, at the Zune Marketplace, by the RSS feed, by email, or listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app.

Links for this episode:

Purification of vaccinia virus DNA polymerase (J Biol Chem)
Adenovirus DNA replication in vitro (PNAS)
Herpes simplex viral genes required for DNA synthesis (J Virol)
Letters read on TWiV 203

Weekly Science Picks

Rich - Mattel Hot Wheels Curiosity RoverVincent - Should H5N1 Moratorium End?

Listener Pick of the Week

Claudio - DIY lab equipment (Ars Technica) and DIY Bio

Send your virology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twiv@twiv.tv. You can also post articles that you would like us to discuss at microbeworld.org and tag them with twiv.

TWiV 202 - Huskers go viral Oct 07, 2012

Show notes

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, T. Jack Morris, James Van Etten, and Charles Wood

Vincent travels to the University of Nebraska to meet with members of the Nebraska Center for Virology and discuss their work on algal viruses, plant viruses, HIV and Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus.

Links for this episode:

Weekly Science Picks

Charles - Rhabdovirus associated with hemorrhagic fever (PLoS Path)Vincent - Bacteriophage graffiti (jpg)

Listener Pick of the Week

Bob - Remembering Penny PinneoJanet - Penn and Teller on vaccinations (YouTube)

Send your virology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twiv@twiv.tv. You can also post articles that you would like us to discuss at microbeworld.org and tag them with twiv.

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