This Week in Virology

Latest Episodes:

TWiV #62 - Persistence of West Nile virus Dec 13, 2009

Show notes

On episode #62 of the podcast This Week in Virology, Vincent, Dickson, and Alan discuss STEP HIV-1 vaccine failure caused by the adenovirus vector, presence of West Nile virus in kidneys for years after initial infection, adaptation of the influenza viral RNA polymerase for replication in human cells, and the significance of the D225G change in the influenza HA protein.

Host links Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Alan Dove

Links for this episode:

HIV vaccine failure probably caused by adenovirus vector used
Persistence of West Nile virus in kidneys for years (JID and ProMedMail) (thanks, Lenn!)
Adaptive strategies of influenza RNA polymerase for replication in humans
New CDC estimates of 2009 H1N1 infection in US
Receptor binding specificity of 2009 H1N1 virus
Distribution of sialic acids in human respiratory tract

TWiV #61 - Original antigenic sin Dec 06, 2009

Show notes

On episode 61 of the podcast "This Week in Virology", Vincent and Dick muse about the symbiotic bacterium,Wolbachia, that protects flies from viral infection, the origin of 2009 influenza H1N1 virus, and the lure of original antigenic sin.

Host links Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier

Links for this episode:

Variation in antiviral protection mediated by different Wolbachia strains in Drosophila simulans
Wolbachia induces resistance to RNA virus infections in Drosophila
Wolbachia reduces blood-feeding success in Dengue mosquito
Did 2009 H1N1 influenza come from a laboratory?
Influenza original antigenic sin in mice but not in humans
Dengue outbreak in Mexico (thanks Swiss compass!)
Pig at Minnesota state fair infected with 2009 H1N1 (thanks Swiss compass!)
Baby kissing pig (jpg) (thanks Swiss compass!)

TWiV #60 - Making viral RNA Nov 29, 2009

Show notes

Vincent and Dickson continue Virology 101 with a discussion of how RNA viruses produce mRNA and replicate their genomes.

Host links Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier

Links for this episode:

Diagrams of viral RNA synthesis
Animations of influenza virus and HIV-1 replication

TWiV #59 - Dog bites virus Nov 22, 2009

Show notes

A TWiV panel of five considers the finding of Streptococcus pneumoniae in fatal H1N1 cases in Argentina, hysteria in the Ukraine over pandemic influenza, and human vaccinia infection after contact with a raccoon rabies vaccine bait.

Host links Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, Gustavo Palacios, and Mady Hornig

Links for this episode:

Argentine flu death mystery
H1N1 influenza outbreak in Ukraine (article one and two, and WHO statement)
Human vaccinia infection after contact with rabies vaccine bait
Agrippal S1 inactivated H1N1 vaccine (pdf - thanks Ariel and Ayelet)
Nick's letter on are viruses and life
Take the poll: are viruses alive?

TWiV #58 - Nipah virus in ferrets Nov 15, 2009

Show notes

Vincent, Dick, and Alan are joined by emergency medicine physician Dr. Joshua Stillman to talk about passive antibody therapy for Nipah infection in ferrets, annual influenza immunization of children, facemasks to prevent influenza, predicting dengue outbreaks by the weather, and the amazing viral communities in an icy Antarctic lake.

Host links Vincent Racaniello, Dick Despommier, Alan Dove, and Joshua Stillman

Links for this episode:

Post-exposure passive antibody therapy for Nipah virus in ferret
Image above left shows Nipah viral antigen (red) in ferret brain ependymal epithelium
Is yearly influenza vaccination of children a bad idea?
Debate on N95 masks vs surgical masks to prevent influenza
Weather patterns help predict dengue outbreaks
Diverse viral community in Antarctica's icy lakes (thanks Russ!)
Tamiflu in Japanese river waters (see TWiV 40 - thanks Russ!)
Chlorine dioxide gas removes influenza virus (thanks André!)

TWiV #57 - Virology in high school Nov 08, 2009

Show notes

Vincent visits Scotch Plains – Fanwood High School and talks about viruses with high school biology students.

Host links: Vincent Racaniello

Links for this episode:

Vincent’s presentation (pdf)
Thank you letters
Oncolytic reovirus
Does rhinovirus interfere with influenza?

TWiV #56 - Perspicuously perspicacious Nov 01, 2009

Show notes

Vincent, Dick, Alan, and Cliff answer questions from listeners on swine influenza origins, transmission, virulence, and vaccines, HIV and AIDS, and more.

Host links: Vincent Racaniello, Dick Despommier, Alan Dove, and Cliff Mintz

Links for this episode:

Physicists propose 'Schrödinger's Virus' experiment (thanks Duncan)
Nanoparticle adjuvant (ScienceDaily and Journal of Controlled Release - thanks Jim)
Hand washing won't stop H1N1 at Newsweek (thanks Jim)
Newsweek's virus quiz
TWiV timeline (download .m4v file - thanks Ricardo)
Sanjay Gupta's H1N1 experience (thanks Lenn)
Swine flu vaccine fear mongering at eSkeptic (thanks Jesper)
Flu transmission and humidity (letter from Joe)

Weekly Science Picks

Dick 27" iMac and Powers of Ten by Philip Morrison and Phyllis MorrisonAlan ImageMagickCliff ePatient Connections 2009Vincent Cell size and scale

TWiV #55 - Mice lie, monkeys exaggerate Oct 25, 2009

Show notes

The largest TWiV panel ever assembled takes on XMRV and chronic fatigue syndrome, 2009 chemistry Nobel prizes for ribosome structure, finding new poxvirus vaccine candidates, a brouhaha over leaked Canadian data on flu susceptibility, and transmission of H1N1 influenza to a pet ferret.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dick Despommier, Alan Dove, Jason Rodriguez, and Rich Condit

Links for this episode:

XMRV and chronic fatigue syndrome
XMRV not found in German prostate cancer
2009 Chemistry Nobel Prize for ribosome structure
New poxvirus vaccines (e! Science and Virology articles - thanks Jim!)
Seasonal flu shots and susceptibility to 2009 H1N1 (one, two, and three)
Pet ferret gets H1N1 influenza from owner

Weekly Science Picks

Dick Nikon photomicroscopy contest winners at SciAm (Dick's article on vertical farming)Alan Make:Rich BBC's Planet Earth (DVD at Amazon)Jason The Collider, the Particle and a Theory About FateVincent An Epidemic of Fear and Misinformants at Wired Magazine

TWiV #54 - Professor Lynn Enquist, virology luminary Oct 18, 2009

Show notes

Vincent speaks with Lynn Enquist about his career in virology, moving from academia to industry and back. Along the way he did pioneering research on bacteriophage, participated in the birth of recombinant DNA technology, and studied herpesviruses.

Links for this episode:

Holliday junction
Asilomar Conference on Recombinant DNA
Restriction enzymes
Movies of herpesvirus movement in nerve cells
The 'other' Enquist lab
Can you find the TWiV 54 hosts in this photo?

Weekly Science Picks

Lynn Francis Crick: Hunter of Life's Secrets by Robert OlbyVincent ViralZone

TWiV #53 - The ends justify the means Oct 11, 2009

Show notes

Vincent, Dick, and Alan talk about Nobel prizes for telomere research, bacteriophages that protect aphids from wasps, salicylates and pandemic influenza mortality, and hand washing.

Links for this episode: