This Week in Virology

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello  and  Rich Condit Guest:  Eugene Koonin Vincent and Rich meet up with Eugene Koonin to talk about the central role of viruses in the evolution of all life. Links for this episode Virocentric  view of evolution (Curr Op Virol) Proposed order  Megavirales  (Arch Virol) Pithovirus  (PNAS) Selfish  virus-like elements (Virol J) Pandoraviruses  are derived Phycodnaviruses (Bi...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Dickson Despommier ,  Alan Dove ,  Rich Condit , and  Kathy Spindler The TWiV team discusses recent cases of polio-like paralysis in California, and the virome of 14th century paleofeces. Links for this episode MERS-CoV in  dromedary camels  (EID) Virologist  Al Kapikian  dies Polio-like illness  in CA (ProMedMail) Acute flaccid paralysis AFP in India  (EID) Enterovir...

Host:  Vincent Racaniello Guests:  W. Ian Lipkin  and  Thomas Briese Vincent meets up with Ian and Thomas to discuss their finding that MERS-coronavirus has been circulating in dromedary camels in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since at least 1992. Links for this episode MERS-CoV in  dromedary camels  (mBio) TWiV 251: Don't kiss the camel TWiV 247: Today's weather in virology TWiV 239: Filterable cam...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Dickson Despommier ,  Rich Condit , and  Kathy Spindler The TWiVome dissect the finding that interferon lambda alleles predict the outcome of hepatitis C virus infection. Links for this episode Interferon lambda and  HCV outcome  (Cell Host Micr) Laser capture  microdissection (Wikipedia) HCV dependent  fluorescent reporter  (Nat Biotech) Bats and viruses  (PLoS Path)...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Dickson Despommier ,  Alan Dove ,  Rich Condit , and  Kathy Spindler The TWiV team describes aphid control by using a viral capsid protein to deliver a spider toxin to plants, and a human endogenous retrovirus that enhances expression of a neuronal gene. Links for this episode Toxin delivery  to plants by viral capsid protein (Nat Biotech) Pea enation mosaic virus  (V...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Dickson Despommier ,  Alan Dove ,  Rich Condit , and  Ashlee Bennett The TWiV crew discusses two reports on viruses that might have crossed kingdoms, from plants to honeybees and from plants to vertebrates. Links for this episode Tobacco ringspot virus  in honeybees (mBio) Plant virus that  switched to vertebrates  (PNAS) CDC  influenza activity and surveillance With ...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello  and  Rich Condit Guests:  Dennis Hruby  and  Yoshihiro Kawaoka Vincent and Rich discuss avian influenza virus and an antiviral drug against smallpox with Dennis and Yoshi at the ASM Biodefense and Emerging Diseases Research Meeting in Washington, DC. Links for this episode ASM Biodefense Meeting Influenza H5N1  transmission  (Virus Res) Aerosol transmission  of H5N1 vir...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Dickson Despommier ,  Alan Dove ,  Rich Condit , and  Kathy Spindler The complete TWiV team reviews evidence for sensing of herpesviral DNA in the nucleus by the cell protein IFI16.  Links for this episode IFI16 is a  nuclear  pathogen sensor (Cell Host Micr) Nuclear IFI16  sensing of and antagonism by  herpesvirus (PNAS) Acetylation  regulates IFI16 location (PNAS) L...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Alan Dove ,  Kathy Spindler , and  Ashlee Bennett Vincent, Alan, Kathy, and Ashlee discuss fomites in physicians offices, plant virus factories involved in aphid transmission, and clues from the bat genome about flight and immunity. Links for this episode How viruses cause disease  (Coursera) How clean is your iPad  (Which?) Meeting announcement:  From emerging to pan...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Alan Dove ,  Rich Condit , and  Kathy Spindler Vincent, Alan, Rich and Kathy review a protease essential for influenza pathogenesis in mice, and directionality of rhinovirus RNA exit from the capsid. Links for this episode Protease  essential for influenza pathogenesis in mice (PLoS Path) Rhinovirus uncoating is  directional  (PLoS Path) Fluorescence correlation spect...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Alan Dove , and  Kathy Spindler Vincent, Alan, and Kathy discuss finding viruses in outer space, varying results obtained from personal genetic testing, and depletion of CD4 cells during HIV infection by pyroptosis. Links for this episode We should hunt for  viruses in space  (New Scientist) I had my  DNA picture taken  (NY Times) CD4 cell death by  pyroptosis  (Natur...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Alan Dove ,  Rich Condit , and  Kathy Spindler In their final episode of the year, the TWiV team reviews ten compelling virology stories from 2013. Links for this episode Antiviral RNAi (TWiV  255 ,  256 ,  263 ) MERS-CoV (TWiV  215 ,  223 ,  224 ,  233 ,  239 ,  247 ,  251 ,  258 ) Placental trophoblasts confer viral resistance (TWiV  241 ) Origin of REV (TWiV  248 )...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Alan Dove ,  Rich Condit , and  Kathy Spindler The TWiVites read listener questions and comments about public engagement in science, vaccines, RNAi, reprogramming CD8 cells to treat cancer, rabies, and much more. Links for this episode Viral gifts Controlling plant viruses by  vector control  (Ann Rev Phyto) Flavivirus  RNAi suppressor  (J Virol) Entre probetas  podca...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello , Dickson Despommier,  Alan Dove ,  Rich Condit ,  Kathy Spindler , and  Ben tenOever Ben joins the TWiV team to reveal the winner of his contest in which influenza viruses carrying different interferon-stimulated genes vie against one another in mice. Links for this episode Virusninja Game of clones  (Vax Rep) Game of clones  bracket Letters read  on TWiV 263 Weekly Sci...

Host:  Vincent Racaniello Guest:  Ann Palmenberg Vincent returns to the University of Wisconsin - Madison to speak with Ann Palmenberg about her career in virology. Links for this episode Palmenberg lab website  - great resources Genome sequences of  all rhinoviruses  (J All Clin Imm) Cardioviral  poly(C) tracts  (Arch Virol Supp) EMCV disruption of  nuclear transport  (PNAS) Picornavirus  proteas...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello  and  James Van Etten Guests:  Chantal Abergel  and  Jean-Michel Claverie Vincent meets up with Chantal and Jean-Michel at the first International Symposium on Giant Virus Biology in Tegernsee, Germany, to discuss their work on Mimivirus, Megavirus, and Pandoravirus. Links for this episode Unanswered  giant virus questions (Adv Virus Res) Fourth domain  of life (Commun I...

Host:  Vincent Racaniello Guests:  Tom Friedrich ,  Tony Goldberg , and  David O'Connor Vincent visits the University of Wisconsin, Madison and speaks with Tom, Tony, and David about their work on virus discovery at the AIDS Vaccine Research Laboratory. Links for this episode A tick in  Tony's nose  (Am J Trop Med Hyg) Two new SIV from  colobus monkeys in Uganda  (Biomed Cent) Pegivirus diversity...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello  and  Rich Condit Guest:  Jaquelin Dudley Vincent and Rich join Jackie at the University of Texas, Austin to talk about her work on mouse mammary tumor virus. Links for this episode Rem signal peptide  processing and function (J Virol) MMTV null mice  and tumorigenesis (J Virol) Jackie's  publications  (PubMed) I want my MMTV  (TWiV 242) Live at ASV in Madison  (TWiV 193...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Alan Dove ,  Rich Condit ,  Kathy Spindler , and  Matt Frieman Matt joins the TWiV team to discuss the discovery of a SARS-like coronavirus in bats that can infect human cells, and what is going on with MERS-coronavirus. Links for this episode S ARS-like virus in bats  binds ACE2  (Nature) Bat SARS-like virus that  infects human cells  (virology blog) Coronavirus infe...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Dickson Despommier ,  Alan Dove ,  Rich Condit , and  Kathy Spindler The TWiV team consider how the kinase mTOR modulates the antibody response to provide broad protection against influenza virus, and explore the problems with scientific research. Links for this episode T wo lives intertwined (Ann Rev Imm) John Holland, 83 Kinase mTOR  modulates antibody response  (Na...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Dickson Despommier ,  Alan Dove ,  Rich Condit , and  Kathy Spindler Vincent, Dickson, Alan, Rich, and Kathy review two papers that present evidence for RNA interference as an antiviral immunity mechanism in mammals. Links for this episode: World Polio Day Mole Day John Holland's  publications RNAi is  antiviral in mammals  (Science) Antiviral RNA interference  in mam...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello  and  Rich Condit Guests:  Robert Krug  and  Christopher Sullivan Vincent and Rich visit the University of Texas at Austin and meet up with Bob and Chris to talk about their work on influenza virus and microRNAs. Links for this episode: Virus-encoded  microRNAs  (PLoS Path) microRNA  targetomes  of polyomavirus (J Virol) Innate and RNAi  reciprocal inhibition  (Cell) ISG...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Dickson Despommier ,  Alan Dove , and  Kathy Spindler Vincent, Dickson, Alan, and Kathy review clearance of simian immunodeficiency virus infection from macaques by immunization with SIV proteins encoded in a rhesus cytomegalovirus vector. Links for this episode: Immune clearance  of SIV infection (Nature) Rhesus CMV  vectors  (Nature Medicine) Types of  memory T cell...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Dickson Despommier ,  Alan Dove ,  Rich Condit , and  Kathy Spindler In this second consecutive all-email episode, the complete TWiV team reads questions and comments from listeners about systemic antiviral responses, wild type poliovirus in Israel, Turkish scientists, viral symbiotes, and much more. Links for this episode: One Nation in support of biomedical research...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Dickson Despommier ,  Alan Dove ,  Rich Condit , and  Kathy Spindler The complete TWiV team reads email from listeners about anti-vaccine activists, a career in microbiology, placentas, a virology textbook, the HeLa cell genome, norovirus, and much more. Links for this episode: Anthropic principle 1999  vaccine article  by Alan Dove (Nature) Image credit:  Jason Rober...