TWiV 754: Tuesday two: SARS-CoV-2 and TLR2

TWiV discusses the finding that the envelope (E) protein of SARS-CoV-2 is sensed by toll-like receptor 2 on cells, leading to the production of inflammatory cytokines that cause damage to cells and tissues in COVID-19.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler, and Brianne Barker

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Weekly Picks

Brianne – Lab.Hacks Lab Assistant App
Rich – Weird viral DNA spills secrets to biologists; COVAX
Kathy – Planet Earth Now
Vincent – Variants at ViralZone

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

TWiV 753: The ferret nose where the virus goes

TWiV revisits Brazil’s rejection of Sputnik vaccine, examines influenza transmission via the air from the nasal epithelium of ferrets, and a history of accidental releases of polioviruses and their relevance for eradication of poliomyelitis.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Brianne Barker

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Weekly Picks 1:25:27

Dickson – Exotic mantis
Brianne – Types of Scientific Paper
Alan – Rusty Lake Games / Cube Escape Collection
Rich – The Departed Could Soon Become Compost in Colorado; Recompose (wiki)
Vincent – Public Health Image Library

Listener Picks

Ivan – Apollo 11: As They Shot It

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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TWiV 752: COVID-19 clinical update #61 with Dr. Daniel Griffin

In COVID-19 clinical update #61, Daniel Griffin reviews a modeling of future hospitalizations and deaths by vaccination rates and non pharmaceutical intervention scenarios, performance evaluation of rapid antigen tests, children making up a growing share of new cases, antibody response to mRNA vaccine in solid organ transplant recipients, and outcomes in hospitalized patients treated with tocilizumab.

Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello

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Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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TWiV 751: Sputnik spat and furin in ferrets

TWiV examines the claim by Brazil’s ANVISA that the Sputnik vaccine contains replication-competent adenovirus, and a role for the furin cleavage site in SARS-CoV-2 spike for efficient reproduction in the respiratory tract, evasion of antiviral IFITM proteins, and transmission in ferrets.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, and Kathy Spindler

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Weekly Picks 1:22:29

Rich – The diversity and function of sourdough starter microbiomes; Dunn Lab Wild Sourdough Project
Kathy – ISS, Crew Dragon, and the sun  Doubly warped world of binary black holes
Vincent – Mr. Labman

Listener Picks

Joy – Abandoned America: Matthew Christopher’s Autopsy of the American Dream

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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TWiV 750: To err is viral

The TWiVmeisters discuss how copy-back defective viral genomes might modulate the clinical outcome of respiratory syncytial virus infection, and detection of antibodies to henipa- and filo-like viruses in Trinidad bats.

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

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Weekly Picks 1:41:52

Dickson – Olympus Image of the Year Award
Alan – We need to improve the welfare of life science trainees
Rich – Sheldrick Wildlife Trust; The Reteti Elephant Sanctuary
Kathy – Aria Code Nessun dorma podcast
Vincent – Covariants

Listener Picks

Justin – How Pfizer Makes Its Covid-19 Vaccine

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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TWiV 749: COVID-19 clinical update #60 with Dr. Daniel Griffin

In COVID-19 clinical update #60, Daniel Griffin summarizes CDC guidance for summer camps, how to protect yourself when fully vaccinated, updated recommendation for J&J vaccine, declining global case fatality rate, and characterization of post-acute sequelae.

Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello

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Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

TWiV 748: SARS-CoV-2 gets a sense of humoral

A TWiV trio explains a method for sequencing single genomes of SARS-CoV-2 and its use to explore in-host evolution drive by antibody responses, and incidence of cerebral venous thrombosis in COVID-19 patients and vaccine recipients.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Brianne Barker

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Weekly Picks 1:31:22

Brianne – Show Your Immune System Some Love
Alan – Cyborg sea turtle
Vincent – Thomas Brock dies

Listener Picks

April – The High Line
Michel – Why you can’t compare Covid-19 vaccines

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

TWiV 747: COVID-19 clinical update #59 with Dr. Daniel Griffin

In COVID-19 clinical update #59, Daniel Griffin discusses a front-line health care worker survey, pre-exposure seropositivity and subsequent infection in healthy young adults, fitted filtration efficiency of double masking, BinaxNow rapid in-home antigen test, postvaccination infections in a nursing facility, safety of mRNA vaccine in pregnant women, case control study of Bamlanivimab, no evidence for brain infection in patients with neurolgical symptoms, and mortality among US patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello

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Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

TWiV 746: Encephalitis viruses dine on caveolae

Team TWiV explains how alphaviruses like Western equine encephalitis virus cross into the brain from capillaries by caveolin-mediated transcytosis, and reveal scientists’ incentives and attitudes towards public communication.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Kathy Spindler, and Brianne Barker

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Weekly Picks 1:39:42

Dickson – NASA ingenuity helicopter ride
Brianne – Vaccine Efficacy Animation
Kathy – Airglow over the Azores
Vincent – Gisaid

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

TWiV 745: Gorilla COVID with Nadine Lamberski

Nadine Lamberski joins TWiV to discuss an outbreak of COVID-19 among gorillas at the San Diego Zoo, and the use of a spike protein-based vaccine to immunize the animals.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Kathy Spindler, and Brianne Barker

Guest: Nadine Lamberski

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Weekly Picks 1:37:12

Brianne – The Dream Vaccine
Alan – Taking vaccines to Smith Island
Kathy – Daily Overviews Subscribe Tulips
Vincent – Nextstrain

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

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