This Week in Virology

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TWiV 644: Don't let perfect be the enemy of good Jul 23, 2020

Show notes

In this mid-week edition, identifying flawed research before it becomes dangerous, Michigan governor tells America to mask-up, Pfizer mRNA vaccine gets $1.95 billion from Warp Speed, preliminary phase I/II results of the ChAdOx1 SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, answers to listener questions.

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

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Links for this episode

US COVID-19 cases (NY Times)
Identify flawed research before it is dangerous (NY Times)
Mask up, America! (NY Times)
$1.95 billion to Pfizer (NY Times)
Phase I trial of Pfizer mRNA vaccine (medRxiv)
Phase I/II trial of ChAdOx1 vaccine (Lancet)
Rockefeller Foundation testing plan
TWiV 640 on MedCram
Letter drafts for $1 testing
Letters read on TWiV 644
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 643: Bernie Moss, the real Poxdoc Jul 21, 2020

Show notes

From the NIH campus (recorded February 2019) Vincent and Rich meet with Bernie Moss to hear about his training and his remarkable 50-year-plus career working on poxviruses.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Rich Condit

Guest: Bernie Moss

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Link for this episode

Reflections on Bernie Moss' career (JBC)

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 642: Bringin' in 50 keys of spike mRNA Jul 19, 2020

Show notes

Daniel Griffin provides a clinical update on COVID-19, then we discuss phase I preliminary results of the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine, factors associated with death in 17 million patients, and answer listener questions.

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

Guests: Daniel Griffin and Chuck Knirsch

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Links for this episode

Travis County virtual Town Hall
SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine, preliminary results (NEJM)
Factors associated with COVID-19 death (Nature)
Letters read on TWiV 642
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 641: COVID-19 with Dr. Anthony Fauci Jul 17, 2020

Show notes

Dr. Anthony Fauci joins TWiV to discuss SARS-CoV-2 transmission, testing, immunity, pathogenesis, vaccines, and preparedness.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Rich Condit

Guest: Dr. Anthony Fauci

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Dr. Fauci was previously on TWiV 219

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 640: Test often, fast turnaround, with Michael Mina Jul 16, 2020

Show notes

Michael Mina joins TWiV to reveal why frequent and rapid SARS-CoV-2 testing is more important than accuracy, how a daily $1 rapid test could control the pandemic, and why group testing works.

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

Guests: Michael Mina

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Links for this episode

Michael Mina on Immune 26
White House bypasses CDC (NY Times)
Test sensitivity is secondary to frequency and turnaround time (medRxiv)
Group testing for SARS-CoV-2 (medRxiv)
Consider the cycle threshold value (Clin Inf Dis)
MERS-CoV spike nanoparticles protect mice from infection (Vaccine)
CoV spike protein nanoparticles induce neutralizing antibodies in mice (Vaccine)
Letters read on TWiV 640
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 639: Virology Nobel Prizes with Erling Norrby part 2 Jul 14, 2020

Show notes

Vincent and Erling resume their discussion of virology Nobel Prizes, focusing on awards for research on tumor viruses, bacteriophages, virus structure, reverse transcriptase, hepatitis B virus, HIV-1, human papillomaviruses and much more.

Host: Vincent Racaniello

Guest: Erling Norrby

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Links for this episode

Nobel Prizes and Life Sciences by Erling Norrby
Nobel Prizes and Nature's Surprises by Erling Norrby
Nobel Prizes and Notable Discoveries by Erling Norrby
Nobel Prizes: Cancer, Vision and the Genetic Code by Erling Norrby
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 638: Do, there is no try Jul 12, 2020

Show notes

Daniel Griffin provides a clinical update on COVID-19, then Viviana Simon joins to review serological assays developed at Mt. Sinai for SARS-CoV-2 infection, tracking the outbreak in NYC, and listener questions.

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

Guests: Viviana Simon, Daniel Griffin and Chuck Knirsch

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Links for this episode

Serological assay for SARS-CoV-2 infection (Nat Med)
Early spread of SARS-CoV-2 in NYC (Science)
Seroconversion of a city (medRxiv)
Immune response and PCR positivity of NYC cohort (medRxiv)
Letters read on TWiV 638
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 637: Clearing the fog of ignorance Jul 09, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, approval of an Ad5 vectored SARS-CoV-2 vaccine for the military in China, description and clinical trials of a Novavax vaccine joining Operation Warp Speed, prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Spain, shedding and transmissibility of the virus, and listener email.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, and Kathy Spindler

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Links for this episode

China approves COVID-19 vaccine for military (CNN)
Ad5-vectored COVID-19 vaccine phase I results (Lancet)
US pays $1.6 billion for Novavax vaccine (NY Times)
CEPI awards $388 million to Novavax (Novavax)
HHS on Novavax vaccine (HHS)
Novavax phase I/II trials (GlobeNewswire)
Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Spain (Lancet)
Shedding and transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 (Nature)
Letters read on TWiV 637
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 636: Georgia State viral Jul 07, 2020

Show notes

From Georgia State University, Vincent speaks with Chris, Andrew, Priya, and Richard about their careers and their work on Ebolaviruses, rotavirus, and antiviral drug development.

Host: Vincent Racaniello

Guests: Chris Basler, Andrew Gewirtz, Priya Luthra, and Richard Plemper

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Links for this episode

Mutant Ebolavirus lacks virulence (Cell Rep)
Blocking Ebolavirus replication by depleting nucleoside pools (Antiviral Res)
Herd immunity against bad actor molecules (PloS Path)
Bacteria prevent and cure rotavirus infection (Cell)
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 635: Mask hysteria Jul 05, 2020

Show notes

Daniel Griffin provides a clinical update on COVID-19, then we review SARS-CoV-2 shedding in children, how to resume school safely, the need for widespread testing and wearing face masks, and much more, including listener email.

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

Guests: Daniel Griffin and Chuck Knirsch

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

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Links for this episode