This Week in Virology

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TWiV 683: Two COVID-19 mRNA vaccines Nov 19, 2020

Show notes

On this episode of TWiV, mRNA vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer show over 90% efficacy, prothrombotic auto-antibodies in serum of COVID-19 patients, and the whereabouts of SARS-CoV-2 in the human body.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler, and Brianne Barker

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Links for this episode

Efficacy of Moderna and Pfizer mRNA vaccines
Longer shelf life of Moderna vaccine (Moderna)
Prothrombotic antibodies in COVID-19 serum (Sci Trans Med)
Where is SARS-CoV-2 in the human body? (PLoS Path)
Letters read on TWiV 683
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Brianne – Picture a Scientist Kathy – Colors of the Moon and Word that hasn't changed Rich – NASA YouTube channel Vincent – Laura Splan science art

Listener Pick

Mona – Ad5 vector and podcast with ImmunityBio founder

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 682: Kate Rubins from the International Space Station Nov 17, 2020

Show notes

From Expedition 64 of International Space Station, Flight Engineer Kate Rubins joins TWiV to discuss experiments that she is working on, including cell cultures, genome sequencing, and plant growth.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Rich Condit

Guest: Kate Rubins

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Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 681: Crowley, coats, and cross-reactive antibodies Nov 15, 2020

Show notes

Daniel Griffin provides a clinical report on COVID-19, Kathleen Crowley explains the role of Environmental Health & Safety departments, update on SARS-CoV-2 transmission in farmed mink, and the presence of pre-existing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in unexposed individuals.

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

Guests: Daniel Griffin and Kathleen A. Crowley

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Links for this episode

Pfizer vaccine efficacy (Pfizer)
Pfizer vaccine (Stat)
Distribution of Pfizer vaccine (NY Times)
LSTMH vaccine tracker
SARS-CoV-2 humans to mink and back in Netherlands (Science)
SARS-CoV-2 mink isolates in Denmark (pdf)
Preexisting antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in humans (Science)
Letters read on TWiV 681
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Science Picks

Dickson – OSIRIS-REx | NASA Brianne – Virtual Science Museum Tours Alan – Ring Fit Adventure Rich – BUGSS Baltimore Underground Science Space Vincent – Trilobite glassworks

Listener Pick

Gina and Joe – COVID Fan Tutte

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 680: Long-term COVID and ME/CFS Nov 12, 2020

Show notes

Mady, Fiona, and David join TWiV to discuss patients with long-term COVID and similarities and differences with ME/CFS.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, and Brianne Barker

Guests: Mady Hornig, Fiona Lowenstein, and David Tuller

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Links for this episode

Body Politic
Survivor Corps
Long-haulers redefining COVID-19 (Ed Yong)
I'm 26. Coronavirus sent me to the hospital (Fiona Lowenstein)
We need to talk about what coronavirus recoveries look like (Fiona Lowenstein)
COVID-19 long term disability (Mady Hornig, David Tuller)
At 12, she's a COVID long-hauler (Davie Tuller)
NICE rejects GET, Lightning Process, CBT as cure (virology blog)
I want to scream (Occupy M.E.)
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 679: Mink, mutation, and myocytes Nov 08, 2020

Show notes

Daniel Griffin provides a clinical report on COVID-19, Slovlakia's plan to test all adults for SARS-CoV-2 infection, viral variants arising in Danish mink and their potential threat to humans, why it is unethical to carry out challenge trials, Nipah virus dynamics in bats and spillovers into humans, and direct cardiac damage by spike-mediated cardiomyocyte fusion.

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

Guests: Daniel Griffin and Amy Rosenfeld

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Links for this episode

Denmark will cull mink (Reuters)
State Serum Institute statement in Danish
Unethical to use SARS-CoV-2 human challenge studies (PNAS)
Nipah virus dynamics in bats (PNAS)
Spike-mediated cardiomyocyte fusion (ResearchSquare)
SARS-CoV-2 infects engineered heart tissues (bioRxiv)
You cannot lock up all risks groups (Das Coronavirus)
Letters read on TWiV 679
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Science Picks

Dickson – CNN News Amy – I voted and Grace for President Alan – The Story of More by Hope Jahren Rich – OSIRIS-REx and 101955 Bennu Vincent – The Vexed Muddler

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 678: Fishing for viruses with Nels Elde Nov 05, 2020

Show notes

Nels joins TWiV to reveal the discovery of a picornavirus of zebrafish by measuring immune responses in the host, genome sequence analysis of the White House COVID-19 outbreak, and a six-fold higher SARS-CoV-2 exposure rate than reported cases in German children.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, and Kathy Spindler

Guest: Nels Elde

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Links for this episode

Zebrafish virus discovery by visualization (Curr Biol)
Viral genome sequencing of White House COVID-19 outbreak (medRxiv)
Genetic signature of virus that may have infected Trump (NY Times)
Sixfold higher SARS-CoV-2 infection than reported in children (Med)
Letters read on TWiV 678
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Science Picks

Kathy – Why art is important and Tagging an asteroid Rich – Vendee Globe Vincent – PrePubMed

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 677: Does antibody really know what time it is? Nov 01, 2020

Show notes

Daniel Griffin provides a clinical report on COVID-19, then we discuss rapid deployment of SARS-CoV-2 testing by research laboratories in San Francisco, longitudinal observation of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in patients, and listener questions on vaccines, loss of smell, face masks, and more.

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Links for this episode

Daniel's COVID-19 graph (Twitter)
Cornell U containment victory (Bloomberg)
Regeneron mAb trial paused (WSJ)
CLIAHUB (PLoS Path)
Serum antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 over time (paper one, two, three)
Letters read on TWiV 677
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Science Picks

Dickson – Comedy Wildlife Photography Brianne – Ed Yong – Science reporting during a pandemic Alan – Tree Story by Valerie Trouet Rich – Boundless Body Radio Bethany and Casey Ruff Vincent – Wearing is Caring

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 676: Tragic gene flow from Neanderthals Oct 29, 2020

Show notes

In this episode we explain how regions of the human genome associated with severe COVID-19 are identified, the finding that one of these regions was inherited from Neanderthals, and prolonged SARS-CoV-2 reproduction in an immunocompromised patient.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler and Brianne Barker

Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, emailBecome a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode

Genome wide association study of severe COVID-19 (NEJM)
Major genetic risk factor for severe COVID-19 inherited from Neanderthals (Nature)
COVID-19 host genetics initiative (Eur J Hum Gen)
Prolonged SARS-CoV-2 shedding in immunocompromised host (J Inf Dis)
Krugman on Barrington Declaration (NY Times)
Letters read on TWiV 676
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Science Picks

Brianne – Kids Meet a Virologist Kathy – Harvard glass marine invertebrates 3D online Rich – Chernobyl fungi Vincent – Artologica

Listener Pick

Justin – Totally Under Control

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 675: Forget what you've herd about immunity Oct 25, 2020

Show notes

Daniel Griffin provides a clinical report on COVID-19, then we discuss Bill Foege's letter to CDC director Robert Redfield, the false promise of herd immunity for COVID-19, secret blueprints for SARS-CoV-2 vaccine trials released, and neuropilin-1 as a possible entry protein for the virus.

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

Guest: Daniel Griffin

Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, emailBecome a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode

Excess COVID-19 Deaths by Age and Race and Ethnicity (MMWR)
Excess COVID-19 deaths (JAMA)
SARS-CoV-2 transmission (CDC)
UK challenge trial (Nature)
Inflammatory cytokine signature for severe COVID-19 (Nature)
Death in AstraZeneca vaccine trial (Reuters)
Herpetic Legion – Reactivation (YouTube)
Tech position with Dr. Rosenfeld
Biological safety officer position at CUMC
Support MicrobeTV at Parasites Without Borders
Foege letter to Redfield (text, NPR article)
False promise of herd immunity (Nature)
Secret vaccine plans released (NY Times)
Neuropilin-1 and SARS-CoV-2 entry (paper one, two)
Letters read on TWiV 675
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Science Picks

Dickson – Nikon Small World Photography Competition Brianne – Modeling Herd Immunity for measles Alan – Small Gods by Terry Pratchett Rich – Boundless Body Radio Bethany and Casey Ruff Vincent – The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 674: In the company of coronaviruses with Lisa Gralinski Oct 22, 2020

Show notes

Lisa joins TWiV to discuss her research on the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2, including work on vaccines and an antiviral, then we review the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein as a potential analgesic, and listener questions.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler and Brianne Barker

Guest: Lisa Gralinski

Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email

Become a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode