This Week in Virology

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TWiV 463: We haven't meth but these names ring Nobel Oct 15, 2017

Show notes

The TWiViridae review the 2017 Nobel Prizes for cryoEM and circadian rhythms, and discuss modulation of plant virus replication by RNA methylation.

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

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Links for this episode

Truth Wins by Jonathan Yewdell (epub or mobi)
Gabriel Victora awarded MacArthur Prize
Forty Years of mRNA Splicing (CSH)
2017 Chemistry Nobel: Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank, Richard Henderson
2017 Physiology or Medicine Nobel: Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, Michael W. Young
2017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry (pdf)
2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology of Medicine (pdf)
Jonathan Weiner on TWiEVO 19
RNA methylation modulates plant virus infectivity (PNAS)
Letters read on TWiV 463

This episode is brought to you by Blue Apron. Blue Apron is the #1 fresh ingredient and recipe delivery service in the country. Get $30 off your first delivery and FREE SHIPPING by going to blueapron.com/twiv.

This episode is brought to you by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. Part of the U.S. Department of Defense, the Agency's Chemical and Biological Technologies Department hosts the 2017 Chemical and Biological Defense Science & Technology Conference to exchange information on the latest and most dynamic developments for countering chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction. Find out more at http://www.cbdstconference.com

Weekly Science Picks

Kathy - When biospheres collide Dickson - Blame 10 rivers for ocean plastic Alan - Farming in The Netherlands Vincent - Meet the Microbiologist

Listener Picks

Jay - OmegaTau podcast Trudy - Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis Mark - iOS app Human Anatomy Atlas and Master in Business podcast

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

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

TWiV Special: Tear it up with David Tuller Oct 14, 2017

Show notes

David Tuller returns to discuss his efforts to expose the methodological and ethical problems with the PACE trial for ME/CFS.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello

Guest: David Tuller

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Links for this episode

All of David's ME/CFS articles at virology blog
David Tuller on Twitter
Through the Shadowlands by Julie Rehmeyer

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

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

TWiV 462: Splicing RNA with Phillip A. Sharp Oct 07, 2017

Show notes

Vincent speaks with 1993 Nobel Laureate Phillip A. Sharp about his career and his seminal discovery of RNA splicing in mammalian cells, which changed our understanding of gene structure.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello

Guest: Phillip A. Sharp

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Links for this episode

Meet the Microbiologist
Sharp Laboratory
Spliced segments of adenovirus late mRNA (PNAS)
Video of this interview (YouTube)

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

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

TWiV 461: Gotta trace them all! Sep 30, 2017

Show notes

The TWiVers discuss the declining readability of scientific texts, and review the use of self-inactivating rabies virus for tracing neural circuits.

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

Guest: Brianne Barker

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Links for this episode

Meet the Microbiologist
TWiV 1: West Nile Virus
Decreasing readability of scientific texts (eLife)
Measure text readability
Tracing neural circuits with self-inactivating rabies virus (Cell)
Cre driver network (NIH)
Monosynaptic tracing with rabies virus (Neuron)
Letters read on TWiV 461

Weekly Science Picks

Kathy -Best eclipse video (to date) and s olargraph Dickson - Photos by Will Eades Brianne - Pale Rider by Laura Spinney Rich - "Supergenes" Drive Evolution Vincent -Anatomy of a Moral Panic

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

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

TWiV 460: Penn, a great sandbox for science Sep 24, 2017

Show notes

Vincent travels to the University of Pennsylvania and speaks with virologists Gary Cohen, Scott Hensley, Carolina Lopez, and Susan Weiss about their careers and their research.

Host: Vincent Racaniello

Guests: Gary Cohen, Scott Hensley, Carolina Lopez, and Susan Weiss

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Links for this episode

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

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

TWiV 459: Polio turns over a new leaf Sep 17, 2017

Show notes

The TWiV team reviews the first FDA approved gene therapy, accidental exposure to poliovirus type 2 in a manufacturing plant, and production of a candidate poliovirus vaccine in plants.

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

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Links for this episode

ASM Conference on Viral Manipulation of Nuclear Processes
ASM Public Outreach Fellowship
Kymriah approved (PennMed)
CAR T cells (NCBI)
Cost of Kymriah (NYTimes)
Accidental exposure to poliovirus type 2 (Eurosurveill)
GAPIII (WHO)
Poliovaccine candidate in plants (Nat Commun)
Vertical vaccine farm (TWiV 47)
All picornaviruses, all the time (TWiV 425)
Image credit
Letters read on TWiV 459

Weekly Science Picks

Kathy - Cassini photos Dickson - Caliber Biotherapeutics Alan - Grav Rich - Google street view of the International Space Station (article) Vincent - the bioinformatics chat

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

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

TWiV 458: Saliva of the fittest Sep 09, 2017

Show notes

The TWiVians present an imported case of yellow fever in New York City, and explain how a dengue virus subgenomic RNA disrupts immunity in mosquito salivary glands to increase virus replication.

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

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Links for this episode

ASM Conference on Viral Manipulation of Nuclear Processes
Roger W. Hendrix, 74 (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Roger Hendrix video on TWiV #135
Yellow fever in traveler returning from Peru (MMWR)
Dengue subgenomic RNA in mosquito salivary gland (PLoS Path)
Image credit
Letters read on TWiV 458

Weekly Science Picks

Kathy - Antibody validation Editorial Asilomar meeting report Dickson - Despommierphotoart.com Alan - NOAA Hurricane Hunters Rich - Awakenings by Oliver Sacks (encephalitis lethargica) Vincent - Goodnight Lab by Chris Ferrie

Listener Picks

Pete - Change Agent by Daniel Suarez Paul - Pasteur's Gambit by Stephen Dando-Collins Maureen - Discovery Documentary First in Human

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

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

TWiV 457: The Red Queen meets the White Rabbit Sep 03, 2017

Show notes

Brianne returns to the TWiV Gang to discuss the distribution of proteins on the influenza viral genome, and the evolution of myxoma virus that was released in Australia to control the rabbit population.

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

Guest: Brianne Barker

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Links for this episode

First genetically engineered salmon sold in Canada
Nucleoprotein on influenza virus RNA (Nucl Acids Res)
Evolution of released myxoma virus in Australia (PNAS)
Image credit
Letters read on TWiV 457

This episode is brought to you by Blue Apron. Blue Apron is the #1 fresh ingredient and recipe delivery service in the country. See what's on the menu this week and get your first 3 meals free with your first purchase - WITH FREE SHIPPING - by going to blueapron.com/twiv.

Weekly Science Picks

Brianne - 3D printed viruses Dickson - Secrets of Schooling Alan - Making sails in the Nevada desert Rich - David Vetter isolation suit (Wiki) Vincent - Confounds the Science

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

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

TWiV 456: Be careful of canons Aug 26, 2017

Show notes

Brianne joins the TWiVMasters to explain how mutations in genes encoding RNA polymerase III predispose children to severe varicella, and detection of an RNA virus by a DNA sensor.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Rich Condit

Guest: Brianne Barker

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Links for this episode

RNA pol III mutations underlie severe varicella (J Clin Inves)
Dengue virus activates cGAS by release of mitochondrial DNA (Sci Rep)
Dengue virus NS2B protein targets cGAS for degradation (Nat Micr)
Image credit
Letters read on TWiV 456

Weekly Science Picks

Brianne - Up-Goer Five Challenge (related to Thing Explainer) Rich - The Farthest: Voyager in Space and Vipassana Momma: Science Vincent - Episode of Revisionist History: The Basement Tapes

Listener Pick

Jennie - What Piece of Lab Equipment Are You?

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

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

TWiV 455: Pork and genes Aug 20, 2017

Show notes

Erin joins the TWiVirions to discuss a computer exploit encoded in DNA, creation of pigs free of endogenous retroviruses, and mutations in the gene encoding an innate sensor of RNA in children with severe viral respiratory disease.

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

Guest: Erin Garcia

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Links for this episode