This Week in Virology

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TWiV 435: Two virus particles walk into a cell Apr 02, 2017

Show notes

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

The TWiVome discuss the blood virome of 8,420 humans, and thoroughly geek out on a paper about the number of parental viruses in a plaque.

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Links for this episode

ASM Grant Writing Course
Screwworm letters
Blood DNA virome of 8,240 humans (PLoS Path)
Plaque co-infection frequencies (mBio)
Ode to a plaque (TWiV 68)
Counting viruses (Virus Watch)
First animal virus plaque assay (J Exp Med)
Letters read on TWiV 435

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

Alan - Couple donates insect collection Kathy - Why is science important to you? Rich - Hook Dickson - Ten Incredible Astronomy Pictures Vincent - Why Trump's NIH Cuts Should Worry Us and The Real Threat to National Security: Deadly Disease

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

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

TWiV 434: Live long and pupate Mar 26, 2017

Show notes

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

The esteemed TWiVumvirate reveal the discovery of a new negative stranded RNA virus of wasps that regulates longevity and sex ratio of its parasitoid host.

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Links for this episode

ASM Microbe 2017
Parasitoid wasp virus regulates sex ratio (PLoS Path)
What is a contig?
Image credit
Letters read on TWiV 434

Weekly Science Picks

Alan - The Wrath of Khan from Bug Chicks Kathy - Boaty McBoatface submarine launching Dickson - Fierce animal portraits Vincent - Westworld

Listener Picks

Hannah - Plague, Inc Stig - John Oliver: Trump vs the truth

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

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

TWiV 433: Poops viruses and worms Mar 18, 2017

Show notes

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

The lovely TWiV team explore evolution of our fecal virome, and the antiviral RNA interference response in the nematode C. elegans.

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Links for this episode

ASM Clinical Virology Symposium
Evolution of the human fecal virome (PNAS)
Antiviral RNAi response in C. elegans (Curr Biol)
Orsay virus (TWiV 123)
Broad VSV host range (J Comp Neurol)
Image credit
Letters read on TWiV 433

Weekly Science Picks

Alan - Contact information for Senators and Representatives Kathy - How Tumor Virology Transformed Oncology Dickson - Seven new species of Peacock Spider Vincent - Proposed NIH budget cut and Expensive Oxford Comma

Listener Pick

Kim - Pigeon Fashion Week (TWiEVO 7) Richard - aeroMorph and Understanding Molecular EvolutionJohnye - Ice Instruments and Fahrenheit and Celsius

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

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

TWiV 432: Conjunction junction, what's your function? Mar 12, 2017

Show notes

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

The TWiVites discuss Zika virus seroprevalence in wild monkeys, Zika virus mRNA vaccines, and a gamete fusion protein inherited from viruses.

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Links for this episode

Nido2017 Meeting
ASMCUE
Seroprevalence of Zika virus in wild monkeys and baboons (mSphere)
Zika virus mRNA vaccines (paper one, paper two)
Gamete fusion protein is type II viral fusogen (paper one, paper two)
Image credit
Letters read on TWiV 432

Weekly Science Picks

Alan - Raspberry pi Kathy - The Worst F%ing Words Ever Dickson - NASA images of climate changeBrianne - How herd immunity works Vincent - Radioactive boars in Fukushima

Listener Pick

Margaret - DNA socks and gloves

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

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

TWiV 431: Niemann-Pick of the weak Mar 05, 2017

Show notes

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

The TWiVirions reveal bacteriophage genes that control eukaryotic reproduction, and the biochemical basis for increased Ebolavirus glycoprotein activity during the recent outbreak.

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Links for this episode

Nido2017 Meeting
ASM Microbe 2017
Mark Buller obituary
RS virus pipeline (pdf)
Prophage WO genes and cytoplasmic incompatibility (Nature)
Vanderbilt Virology (TWiV 332)
Basis for increased Ebolavirus glycoprotein activity (Cell Host Micr)
Letters read on TWiV 431

Weekly Science Picks

Rich - Germ Theory by Robert P. GaynesAlan - Student Scientist Partnerships Kathy - Symbiartic Dickson - PaleoBioDB Navigator Vincent - Kusama Infinity Room

Listener Pick

Chaim - How to fight back against the backfire effect

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

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

TWiV 430: The persistence of herpesvirus Feb 26, 2017

Show notes

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

The TWiX cabal discuss sexual transmission of Zika virus in mice, and how immune escape enables herpes simplex virus escape from latency.

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Links for this episode

Nido2017 Meeting
ASM Clinical Virology Symposium
Zika virus sexual transmission in mice (Cell Rep)
Viral RNA is not infectious virus (virology blog)
Methyl-phospho switch (TWiV 369)
Immune escape of herpesvirus from latency (Cell Rep)
Restarting lytic gene expression (J Virol)
Letters read on TWiV 430

Weekly Science Picks

Rich - Vipassana Momma (Dravet Syndrome) Kathy - Landlines Chrome Experiments Dickson - Origami Revolution Vincent - Hunched Over a Microscope

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

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

TWiV 429: Zika Experimental Science Team Feb 19, 2017

Show notes

Host: Vincent Racaniello

Guests: Katie Antony, Tom Friedrich, Emma Mohr, and David O'Connor

Vincent meets with members of team ZEST at the University of Wisconsin Madison to discuss their macaque model for Zika virus pathogenesis.

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Links for this episode

Badgers Go Viral (TWiV 260)
Rhesus macaque model of Zika virus infection (Nat Commun)
Heterologous Zika virus protection in macaques (PLoS NTD)
ZEST Data Portal

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 FREE SHIPPING – by going to blueapron.com/twiv

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

TWiV 428: Lyse globally, protect locally Feb 12, 2017

Show notes

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

The TWiVsters explain how superspreader bacteriophages release intact DNA from infected cells, and the role of astrocytes in protecting the cerebellum from virus infection.

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Links for this episode

Nido2017 Meeting
Superspreader bacteriophages (mBio)
Astrocytes, interferon, and viral infection (JCI)
Viral disruption of blood brain barrier (Trends Micro)
On Warts by Lewis Thomas (pdf)
Letters read on TWiV 428

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 FREE SHIPPING – by going to blueapron.com/twiv

Weekly Science Picks

Alan - Skulls Unlimited Rich - Bernard Moss Reflection Kathy - Why vaccines don't cause autism Dickson - Honomobo Vincent - Trump vs FDA

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

TWiV Special: Vincent Munster on MERS-coronavirus and Ebolavirus Feb 08, 2017

Show notes

Host: Vincent Racaniello

Guest: Vincent Munster

At the Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Hamilton, Montana, Vincent speaks with Vincent Munster about the work of his laboratory on MERS-coronavirus and Ebolaviruses.

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Links for this episode

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

TWiV 427: It was a DURC and UV light Feb 05, 2017

Show notes

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

The TWiVoids discuss the March for Science, the GOF moratorium, and a classic virology paper on mapping the gene order for vesicular stomatitis virus.

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Links for this episode

ASM 2017 election is now open - VOTE HERE
ASM Election questions:
Scientists' march is bad idea (NY Times)
GOF moratorium lifted (Archived White House)
VSV gene order (PNAS)
VSV gene order later (PNAS)
Letters read on TWiV 427

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 FREE SHIPPING – by going to blueapron.com/twiv

Weekly Science Picks

Alan - Good Omen miniseries (book) Kathy - How to cure earworms Dickson - Exoplanets orbits Vincent - Outbreak News Today

Listener Pick

Tom - The Smartest Protester

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