This Week in Virology

Latest Episodes:

TWiV #23 - Extreme virology Mar 08, 2009

Show notes

Vincent, Dick, and Alan review a new macaque model for HIV-1 infection, a possible role for Epstein-Barr virus in multiple sclerosis, accidental release of H5N1 by a vaccine company, resistance of frogs to virus infection, and extreme virology - the biggest and smallest viruses and viral genomes.

Links for this episode:

Harold Varmus on The Daily Show
Macaque model for HIV-1 infection (photo of pig-tailed macaque)
Possible role of Epstein-Barr virus in multiple sclerosis
Accidental distribution of H5N1 influenza virus by pharmaceutical company
Major histocompatibility class I marker and frog resistance to viral infection
Smallest virion and DNA genome: Circovirus
Largest virion and DNA genome: Mimivirus
Biggest RNA genome: (we forgot to mention on the show!) Coronavirus SW1
List of viral genome lengths at NCBI
Sputnik virophage
Papers for Macintosh and iPhone

Science blog of the week: H5N1 by Croft Science podcast pick of the week: MicrobeWorld video Science book of the week: Autism’s False Prophets by Paul A. Offit, MD (podcast with Dr. Ginger Campbell)

TWiV #22 - Viral bioinformatics Feb 28, 2009

Show notes

In episode 22 of This Week in Virology, host Vincent Racaniello and guest host Chris Upton, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology at the University of Victoria in Vancouver, Canada, converse about hepatitis B in India, AIDS gene therapy with a ribozyme, antibodies that neutralize many influenza virus strains, killing tumors with vaccinia virus, myxoma virus of rabbits, and the Viral Bioinformatics Resource Center.

Links in the episode indlude:

Hepatitis B outbreak in India
AIDS gene therapy clinical trial
Antibodies that neutralize many influenza virus strains (papers 1 and 2)
Vaccinia virus as an oncolytic agent
Mutations that attenuate myxoma virus in rabbits
Viral Bioinformatics Resource Center

Science blog of the week: The VBRC blog by Chris Upton Science podcast pick of the week: Nova ScienceNow Science book of the week: The Hot Zone by Richard Preston

TWiV #21 - Viruses of bacteria Feb 22, 2009

Show notes

In episode 21 of This Week in Virology, hosts Vincent Racaniello, Dick Despommier, Alan Dove, and special guest Max Gottesman, discuss an unusual wasp-virus symbiosis, influenza transmission and absolute humidity, how mosquitoes survive Dengue virus infection, and viruses of bacteria.

Links in the episode indlude:

Unusual wasp-virus symbiosis
Absolute humidity modulates influenza virus transmission, survival, and seasonality
How mosquitoes survive Dengue virus infection
Little Lambda, Who Made Thee?
Structure of HK97 procapsid

Science blog of the week: BioJobBlog by Cliff Mintz Science podcast pick of the week: Distillations - a weekly science podcast that brings you extracts from the past, present, and future of chemistry Science book of the week: The Life of a Virus by Andrea Creager

TWiV #20 - Hepatitis C virus Feb 15, 2009

Show notes

Vincent, Dick, Alan, and Matt Evans converse about TED, the Wakefield autism controversy, 99 rhinovirus sequences, Marburg in the USA, and hepatitis C virus.

TWiV #19 - Cap-snatching Feb 08, 2009

Show notes

Vincent and Alan discuss cap-snatching by the hantavirus N protein and the influenza virus endonuclease, HIV-1 and Ebola virus antagonism of tetherin, and influenza pneumonia.

TWiV #18 - Can a virus make you fat? Jan 31, 2009

Show notes

Vincent, Dick, and Alan discuss adenovirus type 36 and obesity, new influenza antiviral drugs, viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus of fish, and Ebola virus in pigs and pig farmers in the Phillipines.

TWiV #17 - Seminal discoveries in virology Jan 24, 2009

Show notes

Vincent, Dick, and Saul talk about discoveries in virology that have had a major impact on the field.

Sem•i•nal (adjective): strongly influencing later developments. Note: There are two HPV vaccines on the market: Gardasil (quadrivalent, types 6, 11, 16, 18) and Cervarix (bivalent, types 16 and 18).

Links for this episode:

Gates Foundation donates to polio eradication effort. Testing a bivalent oral poliovirus vaccine in India. We played a clip from net@night episode 83. I wrote about Jonathan Swift’s ‘Animalcules’ on virology blog.

Science blog of the week: Research Blogging Science podcast pick of the week: Boston Museum of Science podcast Science book of the week: The Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher by Lewis Thomas

TWiV #16 - Virology in Saanen, HIV origins Jan 18, 2009

Show notes

Vincent and Jeremy, in Saanen, Switzerland, review the 19th Challenge in Virology meeting, and implications of a new HIV-1 sequence from 1960 for the origin of AIDS.

Links for this episode:

NY Times article on Offit vaccine book. Nature paper on new 1960 HIV-1 sequence. Massive polio immunization in Pakistan. PLoS paper on T cell responses to HERVs in HIV-1 infection.

Science blog of the week: Eye on DNA by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei Science podcast pick of the week: Persiflager’s Infectious Disease Podcast Science book of the week: Microbe Hunters by by Paul de Kruif

TWiV #15 - Deer mice, Spanish flu, measles, antiviral resistance Jan 13, 2009

Show notes

Vincent, Dick, and Alan converse about hantavirus spread by large deer mice, why the 1918 influenza virus replicates in the lower respiratory tract, measles in Europe, and the growing resistance of influenza virus to antivirals.

Links for this episode:

MMWR, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from CDC. Larger, older deer mice spread hantavirus. Viral RNA polymerase complex promotes optimal growth of 1918 virus in the lower respiratory tract of ferrets. Measles in Europe: an epidemiological assessment. Avian flu (H5N1) gaining resistance to antivirals. Times article on resistance to Tamiflu and analysis by virology blog. Angola widens border closure with DRC over Ebola.

Solutions, the iPhone/iPod Touch app to calculate molar solutions. Vaccine, the iPhone/iPod Touch app to determine vaccination schedules.

Science blog of the week: Molecule of the Day Science podcast pick of the week: Meet the Scientist by Merry Buckley Science book of the week: The Great Influenza by John M. Barry

The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin - published 150 years ago.

TWiV #14 - Common cold, H5N1 transmission, HIV denial, Ebola Jan 05, 2009

Show notes

Vincent and Alan discuss a viral upper respiratory tract infection, transmission of H5N1 influenza virus, death of an HIV denialist, and the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Links in this episode:

PLoS Pathogens paper on transmission of H5N1 influenza virus. Ebola outbreak in DRC reported by ProMedMail. Death of HIV denialist. BioCrowd, a network for bioscientists. Molecules, the iPhone/iPod Touch app to display molecules.

Science blog of the week: ViroBlogy Science podcast pick of the week: Astronomy Cast Science book of the week: The Cutter Incident by Paul A. Offit, MD

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