This Week in Virology

From ASM Microbe 2017 at New Orleans, Vincent and Rich meet up with astronaut Kate Rubins to talk about becoming an astronaut, space travel, and doing science in space. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello and  Rich Condit Guest: Kate Rubins Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Live from the Space Station, NASA Astronaut Kate Rubins Kate Rubins ( NASA , Wikipedia ) Expedition 48-49 launches to...

David Tuller returns to discuss the continuing saga of the UK's PACE trial for chronic fatigue syndrome, including the accusation that he is engaging in libelous blogging. Host:  Vincent Racaniello Guest: David Tuller   Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode TWiV 397: Trial by Error All articles by David Tuller at virology blog Getting it wrong on chronic fatigue syndrome (NY Times) Est...

The TWiVsters reveal the puppet master: an RNA virus injected with wasp eggs that paralyzes the ladybug so that she protects the cocoon until the adult emerges. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Alan Dove , Rich Condit , and Kathy Spindler   Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode ASM grant writing online course Who is the puppet master ? (Proc Roy Soc B) Why ladybird ? Ladybird ladybird Din...

Freelance science journalist Tim Requarth joins the TWiVers to explain why scientists should stop thinking that explaining science will fix  information illiteracy. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Alan Dove , Rich Condit , and Kathy Spindler Guest: Tim Requarth   Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Neuwrite JMBE science communication issue Smallpox vaccination day The problem with fact...

The Beacons of Viral Education (aka the TWiVoners) reveal a cost of being a male mouse - the Y chromosome regulates their susceptibility to influenza virus infection. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Alan Dove , Rich Condit , and Kathy Spindler   Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode ASM Grant Writing Online Course Giant viruses not from fourth domain of life (Virology) Nuclear envelope d...

No problem being nice to Dickson in this episode, because he's absent for a discussion of a new giant virus that replicates in the cytoplasm yet transiently accesses the nucleus to bootstrap infection. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Alan Dove , Rich Condit , and Kathy Spindler   Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode ASM Microbe Noumeavirus cytoplasmic replication depends on transient nu...

Paul Bieniasz joins the TWiV team to talk about the co-option, millions of years ago, of an endogenous retrovirus envelope protein by hominid ancestors for host defense against viral infection. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Dickson Despommier , Alan Dove , Rich Condit , and Kathy Spindler Guest:  Paul Bieniasz   Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode ASM Grant Writing Online Course Bien...

 On the eve of the March for Science, the TWiV team gathers at ASM Headquarters in Washington, DC with guests Stefano and Susie to talk about the state of science communication. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Dickson Despommier , Alan Dove , and  Rich Condit Guests: Stefano Bertuzzi and Susan Sharp Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education sci com...

The TWiVsters reveal new giant viruses that argue against a fourth domain of life, and discovery of viruses in the oceanic basement. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Dickson Despommier ,  Rich Condit , and  Kathy Spindler   Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education sci comm issue Mark Wainberg dies Giant viruses with many translation system componen...

Host:  Vincent Racaniello Guests: Susan Daniel , Colin Parrish , and Gary Whittaker At Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, Vincent speaks with Susan, Colin, and Gary about the work of their laboratories on parvoviruses, influenza viruses, and coronaviruses that infect dogs, cats, horses and other mammals.   Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Daniel Laboratory Parrish Laboratory...

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.   Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode ASM Grant Writing Course Screwworm letters Blood DNA virome of 8,240 humans (PLoS Path) Plaque co-infection fre...

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.   Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode ASM Microbe 2017 Parasitoid wasp virus  regulates sex ratio  (PLoS Path) What is a  contig ? Image credit Le...

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 .  Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode ASM Clinical Virology Symposium Evolution of the  human fecal virome  (PNAS) Antiviral RNAi  response in  C. elegans  (Curr Biol) O...

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. Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Nido2017 Meeting ASMCUE Seroprevalence of Zika virus  in wild monkeys and baboons (mSphere) Zika virus mRNA vaccines ( paper...

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.   Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Nido2017 Meeting ASM Microbe 2017 Mark Buller  obituary RS virus pip...

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.   Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Nido2017 Meeting ASM Clinical Virology Symposium Zika virus  sexual transmission  in mice (Cell Rep) Viral RNA is  not infec...

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.   Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Badgers Go Viral ( TWiV 260 ) Rhesus  macaque model  of Zika virus infection (Nat Commun) Heterologous  Zika viru...

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.   Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Nido2017 Meeting Superspreader  bacteriophages (mBio) Astrocytes , interfero...

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.   Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Rocky Mountain Laboratory Munster Laboratory Small town, big science ( TWiM 140 ) Image credit Send your virology questions and comments...

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.   Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode ASM 2017 election is now open -  VOTE HERE ASM Election questions: Which positions are we voting for? What is the...

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.   Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Register  for ASV 2017 ASM 2017 election is now open -  VOTE HERE ASM Ele...

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.   Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Register  for ASV 2017 ASM-ASV Conference on  Interplay of Viral and Bacterial Pa...

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.   Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Welcome  om...

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.   Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Register  for ASV 2017 ASM-ASV  Conference on  Interplay...

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.   Become a  patron  of TWiV! Should auld infections be forgot And never T-cells primed? Will cross-reacting antigens Protect the host next time? Links for this episode Register  for ASV 2017 ASM-ASV  Conf...