This Week in Virology

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TWiV 426: I'm Axl, and I'll be your cervid today Jan 29, 2017

Show notes

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

The sages of TWiV explain how chronic wasting disease of cervids could be caused by spontaneous misfolding of prion protein, and the role of the membrane protein Axl in Zika virus entry into cells.

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Links for this episode

Register for ASV 2017
ASM 2017 election is now open - VOTE HERE
ASM Election questions:
Scientists March on Washington
Spontaneous generation of unique cervid strain (mSphere)
Zika virus entry into human glial cells via Axl (Cell Rep)
Article collections: PNAS, Cell, Nature, Virology
Letters read on TWiV 426

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 - Deerland by Al Cambronne Dickson - Antarctica's Colorful Underwater World Kathy - You can't unring a bell #1 and #2 Rich - Extra letters added to life's genetic code (source) and The Doomsday Clock (wiki) Vincent - Trump Science Advisors, National Parks Won't Be Silenced

Listener Pick

Stefan - The Vital Question by Nick Lane Kevin - Scientists March on Washington? Dennis - Fractal Tree of Life

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TWiV 425: All picornaviruses, all the time Jan 22, 2017

Show notes

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

The TWiVaniellos discuss a thermostable poliovirus empty capsid vaccine, and two cell genes that act as a switch between entry and clearance of picornavirus infection.

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Links for this episode

Register for ASV 2017
ASM-ASV Conference on Interplay of Viral and Bacterial Pathogens
XKCD #242
Thermostable poliovirus empty capsid vaccine (PLoS Path)
Switch between viral entry and clearance (Nature)
Glass poliovirus by Jason Roberts
Letters read on TWiV 425

Weekly Science Picks

Alan - Medical lab whirligig Dickson - Antarctica's Colorful Underwater World Kathy - Prince Rupert's drops #1 and #2 Rich - Dylan's 30th - Eric Clapton --Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration) Vincent - Saving climate data and Public Good and Public Funding of Science

Listener Pick

Suellen - For the anti-vaccine people

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

TWiV 424: FLERVergnügen Jan 15, 2017

Show notes

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

Guest: Trudy Rey

Trudy joins the the TWiVlords to discuss new tests for detecting prions in the blood, and evidence showing that foamy retroviruses originated in the seas with their jawed vertebrate hosts at least 450 million years ago.

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Links for this episode

Welcome omega tau to MicrobeTV
Register for ASV 2017
Oliver Smithies dies
Assays for prions in the blood (one, two)
Biosafety working on prions (Michigan State)
Marine origin of retroviruses in Palaeozoic era (Nature Comm)
Cancer Virus by Dorothy Crawford
Adenovirus and obesity (Int J Chronic Dis)
Image credit
Letters read on TWiV 424

Weekly Science Picks

Trudy - Artist Jenni Viljaniemi Alan - Radio Garden Dickson - World's First Green Energy Boat Kathy - mSphereDirect video and web Rich - Deathworld Trilogy by Harry Harrison Vincent - Trump's Vaccine Panel (NYTimes), Offit's Response (Daily Beast), ASM Letter

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TWiV 423: Dry, well formed, and light brown Jan 08, 2017

Show notes

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

Guest: Jared Rice

The TWiV academia discuss induction of diarrhea by the capsid protein of an astrovirus, and association of a fungal RNA virus with white-nose syndrome of North American bats.

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Links for this episode

Register for ASV 2017
ASM-ASV Conference on Interplay of Viral and Bacterial Pathogens
Astrovirus capsid protein induces diarrhea (mBio)
Fungal virus associated with white-nose syndrome (PLoS Path)
Image credit
Letters read on TWiV 423

Weekly Science Picks

Alan - GPS visualizer Dickson - James Webb Space Telescope and The Vertical Farm Kathy - First Snowflake Photos (One and Two) Rich - Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson Vincent - Carrie Fisher Fought for the Rebel Alliance and Mental Health Awareness

Listener Pick

Ken - The Abate Lab Sean - The Death of Expertise

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

TWiV 422: Watching the icosahedron drop Jan 01, 2017

Show notes

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

The TWiVestigators wrap up 2016 with a discussion of the year's ten compelling virology stories.

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Should auld infections be forgotAnd never T-cells primed?Will cross-reacting antigensProtect the host next time?

Links for this episode

Register for ASV 2017
ASM-ASV Conference on Interplay of Viral and Bacterial Pathogens
Ten virology stories from 2016
- Zika virus (first covered in 2015, TWiV 368)
- Ebolavirus
- Eukaryotic genes in Wolbachia phage (TWiV 412)
- Harold "400" Varmus (TWiV 400) and many other guests
- Vaccines
- Mutualism
- Mosquitoes and viruses
- Vector victorious (TWiV 401)
- Animal models of virus infections
- Virus evolution
Current Zika virus infections (ECDC)
Early Zika virus infections in Hawaii (PLoS NTD)
Zika virus vaccine for whom? (NYTimes)
Final results for Ebola virus vaccine (Lancet)
Photo from Mohammad
Letters read on TWiV 422

This episode is brought to you by CuriosityStream, a subscription streaming service that offers over 1,400 documentaries and nonfiction series from the world's best filmmakers. Get unlimited access starting at just $2.99 a month, and for our audience, the first two months are completely free if you sign up at curiositystream.com/microbe and use the promo code MICROBE.

Weekly Science Picks

Alan - North America's Lost Medieval City Dickson - New Views of Pillars of Creation Kathy - Reilly Top Ten Rich - Everyday Einstein Vincent - Naples' Sleeping Volcano Might Be Waking Up

Listener Pick

John - RadioLab: The Times They Are a-Changin'

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

TWiV 421: Like flies on shot Dec 25, 2016

Show notes

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

Guest: Nathan Letts

The TWiVnauts present another example of an infectious but replication incompetent vaccine, an insect specific arborvirus bearing chikungunya virus structural proteins.

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Links for this episode

Register for ASV 2017
ASM-ASV Conference on Interplay of Viral and Bacterial Pathogens
Chikungunya virus vaccine using insect virus platform (Nat Med)
Ebola vaccine results (NYTimes, paper)
Letters read on TWiV 421

Weekly Science Picks

Alan - Open Access Button Dickson - National Geographic Photographs Kathy - World's Tiniest Radio Receiver Nathan - Mutter Museum, Philadelphia Vincent - How Rogue One is Connected to the Mac

Listener Pick

Sam - Cell Lab: Evolution Sandbox Hannelore - Congressional Dish Johnye - The Fungi in Your Future Brendan - Zimmer on Longform podcast

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

TWiV 420: Orthogonal vectors Dec 18, 2016

Show notes

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

The TWiV gurus describe how to use an orthogonal translation system to produce infectious but replication-incompetent influenza vaccines.

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Links for this episode

Register for ASV 2017
Local Zika virus transmission in Texas
Texaszika.org
Local dengue virus transmission in Texas (EID)
No more Zika virus transmission in Florida (FL DOH)
Dengue virus antibodies enhance Zika virus infection (Clin Trans Imm)
Infectious, replication incompetent influenza virus vaccine (Science)
Pyrrolysl-tRNA synthetase (Biochem Biophys Acta)
History of nonsense suppression (Stan Maloy)
Suppression of poliovirus amber mutant (Cell)
Remembering mumps (PLoS Path)
Letters read on TWiV 420

Weekly Science Picks

Alan - Superbugs game Dickson - Dinosaur tail trapped in amber Rich - Earth's Rotation is Slowing (original article)Kathy - Lithium Ion batteries (one and two) Vincent - Truth and Lies in the Age of Trump (virology blog) and self driving Uber car

Listener Pick

Steve - New York City Street Tree Map Justin - Transmissible vaccines?

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

TWiV 419: The selfless gene Dec 11, 2016

Show notes

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

The TWiVrific gang reveal how integration of a virophage into the nuclear genome of a marine protozoan enhances host survival after infection with a giant virus.

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Links for this episode

Microcephaly associated with Zika virus infection in Colombia (MMWR)
Virophage genome integration and activation by superinfection (Nature)
Don Nelson interview (pdf)
Page view and h index for paper rank (PLoS One)
Credit for image of C. roenbergensis
Letters read on TWiV 419

Weekly Science Picks

Alan - Lab Wars Dickson - Star in a Jar Fusion Reactor Rich -You're a Bee. This is What it Feels Like.Kathy - List of Potential Predatory Journals Vincent - CRISPR Patent Trial Begins

Listener Pick

Drake - Spinzall Katreya - Periodic Videos Pritesh - Smallpox in mummy

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

TWiV 418: Of mice and MERS Dec 04, 2016

Show notes

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

The TWiVsters describe a new animal model for MERS coronavirus-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome, produced by CRISPR/Cas9 editing of the mouse gene encoding an ortholog of the virus receptor.

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Links for this episode

New mouse model for MERS (Nat Micro)
RNA-guided genome engineering (Science)
Photo by Finny
Letters read on TWiV 418

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Weekly Science Picks

Alan - Human population through time Dickson - Every Orbit Cassini Has Taken Rich - OK GO: Walk Her Walk Kathy - Medieval Bestiary Online Vincent - Can You Out-Science an Eighth Grader? and Stitchen Pox

Listener Pick

Hannah - Bioart and Bacteria

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

TWiV Special: Gary Nabel on World AIDS Day 2016 Dec 01, 2016

Show notes

Host: Vincent Racaniello

Guest: Gary Nabel

Vincent speaks with Gary Nabel, Chief Scientific Officer at Sanofi and former Director of the Vaccine Research Institute of NIAID, about his career and his work on HIV vaccines.

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Links for this episode