This Week in Virology

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Dickson Despommier ,  Alan Dove ,  Rich Condit , and  Kathy Spindler The TWiVniks consider the role of a cell enzyme that removes a protein linked to the 5'-end of the picornavirus genome, and the connection between malaria, Epstein-Barr virus, and endemic Burkitt's lymphoma.   Links for this episode Divergent requirements for  removing VPg  (mBio) Bond, covalent bond...

Host:  Vincent Racaniello Guest:  Julius S. Youngner Vincent speaks with Julius about his long career in virology, including his crucial work as part of the team at the University of Pittsburgh that developed the Salk inactivated poliovirus vaccine.   Links for this episode Trypsin  for cell cultures (Proc Soc Exp Biol Med) Interferon induction by  nonviral stimuli  (J Gen Physiol) Interferons  of...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Alan Dove ,  Rich Condit , and  Kathy Spindler The TWiV-osphere introduces influenza D virus, virus-like particles encoded in the wasp genome which protect its eggs from caterpillar immunity, and a cytomegalovirus protein counters a host restriction protein that prevents establishment of latency.   Links for this episode Ebolavirus  update  (ProMedMail) Influenza D vi...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Dickson Despommier ,  Alan Dove ,  Rich Condit , and  Kathy Spindler The TWiVologists discuss the finding of a second transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils, and development of new poliovirus strains for the production of inactivated vaccine in the post-eradication era. Links for this episode Second  transmissible cancer  in Tasmanian Devils (PNAS) New strains  for...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Alan Dove , and  Kathy Spindler The TWiVomics review ten captivating virology stories from 2015. Ten virology stories from 2015 Recoding to make vaccines and study viral functions: TWiV 351: The dengue code TWiV 362: Gotta catch ’em all  and  n ew paper Defining the virome: TWiV 365: Blood, feuds, and a foodborne disease , TWiV 362: Gotta catch ’em all , TWiV 356: Got...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Alan Dove , and  Kathy Spindler A swarm of virologists discusses testing of a MERS coronavirus vaccine for camels, and how a neuronal stress pathway reactivates herpes simplex virus. Links for this episode MERS coronavirus  vaccine for camels  (Science) WHO  MERS summary Neuronal stress pathway and herpes simplex virus  reactivation  (Cell Host Micr) Stress flips a  c...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello , Alan Dove , Rich Condit , and  Kathy Spindler A plaque of virologists explores the biology of Zika virus and recent outbreaks, and the contribution of a filamentous bacteriophage to the development of biofilms. Links for this episode More cowbell (Wikipedia) Microcephaly in Brazil (Outbreak News) Non-vector borne Zika transmission (EID) Zika virus outside Africa (EID)...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello , Dickson Despommier,  Alan Dove , Rich Condit, and  Kathy Spindler Guests: Carolyn Coyne and Coyne Drummond Two Coynes join the TWiV overlords to explain their t hree-dimensional culture model of polarized intestinal cells for studying enterovirus infection.   Links for this episode Carolyn and placentas on TWiV 193 Three-dimensional cell culture model (mSphere) Bioreac...

Host:  Vincent Racaniello Guests: Carla Giles, Zoe Dyson, Brianna McLean, and Caitlin O'Brien In Melbourne, Australia, Vincent speaks with four PhD students about their research projects and what it's like to get a doctorate down under. Video of this episode: view at YouTube   This episode is sponsored by  ASM Microbe  and  ASM Biodefense . Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@twiv.tv...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Alan Dove , and  Kathy Spindler For a TWiV Thanksgiving, Vincent, Alan, and Kathy trace the feud over genome editing, a new virus discovered in human blood, and the origins of hepatitis A virus. Links for this episode Battle over  genome editing  (Wired) 10:05 First description  of CRISPR in  E. coli  (J Bacteriol) 14:00 Cas genes  identified (Mol Micro) 14:20 CRISPR-...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Rich Condit , and  Kathy Spindler Guests:  Ralph Baric  and  Vineet Menachery Vincent, Rich, and Kathy speak with Ralph and Vineet about their research on the potential of SARS-like bat coronaviruses  to infect human cells and cause disease in mice.   Links for this episode Zoonotic potential of  SARS-like bat viruses  (Nature) SARS-CoV susceptibility loci via  collab...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Alan Dove ,  Rich Condit , and  Kathy Spindler The TWiVers reveal influenza virus replication in the ferret mammary gland and spread to a nursing infant, and selection of transmissible influenza viruses in the soft palate.   Links for this episode Photos of my  visit to OHSU  (Facebook) 6:30 Folta  departs  (Facebook) 9:25 T-VEC  approved for melanoma  (FDA) 14:45 Tal...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Dickson Despommier ,  Alan Dove , Rich Condit , and Kathy Spindler With their usual verve, the virus virtuosos illuminate a new method to identify all the viral nucleic acids in a sample, and regulation of viral gene expression by codon usage.  Links for this episode Virome capture  sequencing (mBio) 15:40 Codon usage  regulates viral gene expression (PNAS) 40:00 Haro...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Dickson Despommier ,  Alan Dove , and  Rich Condit The TWiVsters discuss Frederick Novy's return from retirement to recover a lost rat virus, and evidence for persistence of Ebolavirus in semen.   Links for this episode Frederick Novy and the rat virus (Ann Int Med) 18:20 The rat virus (J Inf Dis) 22:55 Recovery of the rat virus (J Inf Dis) 35:20 Ebola sitrep  42:25 M...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello  and Kathy Spindler Guests:  Michael Imperiale ,  Adam Lauring , and  Akira Ohno Vincent visits the University of Michigan where he and Kathy speak with Michael, Adam, and Akira about polyomaviruses, virus evolution, and virus assembly, on the occasion of naming the department of Microbiology & Immunology a Milestones in Microbiology site. Links for this episode World Po...

Host:  Vincent Racaniello Guest:  Blossom Damania Vincent speaks with Blossom about her laboratory's research on Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus, including how it transforms cells, the switch between lytic and latent replication, and its interaction with the innate immune system of the host.   Links for this episode Damania Laboratory Modulation of  cGAS-STING  by KSHV (PNAS) KSHV vIRF1  i...

Host:  Vincent Racaniello Guest:  Ileana Cristea Vincent meets up with Ileana at Princeton University to talk about how her laboratory integrates molecular virology, mass spectrometry-based proteomics, and bioinformatics to unravel the interplay between virus and host.   Links for this episode Cristea Laboratory Ileana's work previously on  TWiV 269 Blowing off steam  (Cell Host Micr) Nuclear  vir...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Dickson Despommier ,  Alan Dove ,  Rich Condit , and  Kathy Spindler Guest:  Jens Kuhn Jens joins the TWiVomics to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of viral taxonomy, including its history and evolution, how viruses are ordered, and why T. rex was classified without having a living isolate.   Links for this episode Jens' previous TWiV (283)  5:15 International Com...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Dickson Despommier ,  Alan Dove ,  Rich Condit , and  Kathy Spindler Guest: Stephanie Neal Stephanie joins the super professors to discuss the gut virome of children with serious malnutrition, caterpillar genes acquired from parasitic wasps, and the effect of adding chemokines to a simian immunodeficiency virus DNA vaccine.   Links for this episode Invitrogen Science...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Dickson Despommier ,  Alan Dove ,  Rich Condit , and  Kathy Spindler The TWiV team considers the effect of a Leishmaniavirus on the efficacy of drug treatment, and the human fecal virome and microbiome in twins during early infancy. Links for this episode Announcing  mSphere  5:50 Leishmania virus influences drug outcome ( paper 1 ,  paper 2 ) 25:15 Human gut virome a...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Dickson Despommier ,  Alan Dove ,  Rich Condit , and  Kathy Spindler The esteemed doctors of TWiV review a new giant virus recovered from the Siberian permafrost, why influenza virus gain of function experiments are valuable, and feline immunodeficiency virus.  Links for this episode Non-viral proteins  in vaccinia virus particles (Arch Virol) 8:15 Thing a week  (Jona...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Dickson Despommier ,  Alan Dove , and  Kathy Spindler The TWiVniacs discuss twenty-eight years of poliovirus shedding by an immunodeficient patient, and packaging of the innate cytoplasmic signaling molecule cyclic GMP-AMP in virus particles. Links for this episode 28 years of  poliovirus shedding  (PLoS Path)  36:50 NOT a  rare poliovirus  (Wash Post)  44:35 Ukraine...

Host:  Vincent Racaniello Guest:  Michele Banks Vincent meets up with Michele Banks in Washington, DC to discuss her career as a creator of science-themed art.   Links for this episode Michele Banks on Twitter Artologica Michele's blog The Finch and the Pea Joseph Cornell Not Exactly Rocket Science  (Ed Yong) Tree of Life  (Jonathan Eisen) Home Microbiome Study Kitten Microbiome Project Science On...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello , Dickson Despommier ,  Alan Dove ,  Rich Condit , and Kathy Spindler The Masters of the ScienTWIVic Universe discuss a novel poxvirus isolate from an immunosuppressed patient, H1N1 and the gain-of-function debate, and attenuation of dengue virus by recoding the genome. Links for this episode Paula Pitha-Rowe (Balt Sun) Novel poxvirus (CID) H1N1 and gain-of-function deba...

Host:  Vincent Racaniello Guest:  Katherine A. High Vincent speaks with Katherine High about her career and her work on using viral gene therapy to treat inherited disorders. This episode is drawn from one of twenty-six video interviews with leading scientists who have made significant contributions to the field of virology, part of the new edition of the textbook  Principles of Virology .   Links...