This Week in Virology

TWiV 751: Sputnik spat and furin in ferrets

May 6, 2021

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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ASV vaccine town halls 3:15
Brazil rejects Gamaleya vaccine (Sci Transl Med) 5:07
Russian vaccine behavior (Sci Transl Med) 5:13
Is Gamaleya vaccine safe? (Science) 28:29
Furin cleavage site in replication and transmission (Nat Micro) 35:02, 43:04
Furin site loss attenuates pathogenesis (Nature) 42:12
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

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

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 750: To err is viral

May 2, 2021

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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Download TWiV 750 (78 MB .mp3, 83 min)
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Links for this episode

Vaccine education town halls (ASV) 1:59
RSV cpDVG may influence clinical outcome (Nat Micro) 5:06
Henipa- and filo-like viruses in Trinidad bats (J Inf Dis) 58:12
Nice image of cpDVG generation
Letters read on TWiV 750 1:12:01
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

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

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

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

May 1, 2021

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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Download TWiV 749 (24 MB .mp3, 40 min)
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Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to [email protected]

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

April 25, 2021

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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In-host SARS-CoV-2 evolution drive by antibody (PLoS Path) 2:57
COVID-19 and CVT (OSF) 38:19
CoronaVac underperforms (Economist) 1:13:26
Precision Vaccines Program postdoc position 1:30:12
Letters read on TWiV 748 35:36, 53:28
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

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 [email protected]

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

April 24, 2021

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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Healthcare worker survey (KFF) 2:22
Seropositivity and infection risk in young adults (Lancet) 4:51
Efficiency of double masking (JAMA) 10:15
BinaxNow antigen test (Abbott) 14:24
mRNA vaccine safety in pregnant persons (NEJM) 19:19
Bamlanivimab case control study (CID) 24:13
COVID-19 neuropathology (Brain) 28:19
Mortality among hospitalized COVID-19 patients (JAMA) 31:41
Letters read on TWiV 747 34:04
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to [email protected]

TWiV 746: Encephalitis viruses dine on caveolae

April 22, 2021

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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Links for this episode

Viral brain entry by transcytosis across endothelial cells (mBio) 4:18
Scientists attitudes towards public communication (PNAS) 46:00
Letters read on TWiV 746 1:14:05
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

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 [email protected]

TWiV 745: Gorilla COVID with Nadine Lamberski

April 18, 2021

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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Download TWiV 745 (65 MB .mp3, 108 min)
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Links for this episode

Gorillas receive COVID-19 vaccine (Nat Geo) 23:00
COVID-19 vaccine for great apes and mink (Zoetis) 36:26
Letters read on TWiV 745 1:05:36
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

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 [email protected]

TWiV 744: COVID-19 clinical update #58 with Dr. Daniel Griffin

April 17, 2021

In COVID-19 clinical update #58, Daniel Griffin provides the latest update on the J&J vaccine pause, healthcare worker deaths, children and COVID, physical inactivity associated with higher risk, using monoclonal antibodies for prophylaxis, and shows us how to properly wear a face mask.

Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello

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Download TWiV 744 (27 MB .mp3, 45 min)
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Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to [email protected]

TWiV 743: Shape-shifting viruses

April 15, 2021

The TWiVsters explain how the shape of pleomorphic virus particles – spherical or filamentous – determines the probability of virus attachment and fusion, and resistance to selective pressure such as antibodies that block cell entry.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Rich Condit, and Amy Rosenfeld

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Download TWiV 743 (69 MB .mp3, 115 min)
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Links for this episode

Pleomorphic virus particles and cell entry (Nat Micro) 3:14
Letters read on TWiV 743 1:11:21
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks 1:44:48

Dickson – A tiny particle’s wobble could upend the laws of physics
Rich – COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2: Viruses, Vaccines & Variants Made Easy
Amy – Vaccine Anthems
Vincent – DarkNet Diaries Ep. 86

Listener Picks

Steve – Cover Your Freakin’ Face

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 742: De-fusing COVID-19

April 11, 2021

TWiV reviews a drug screen for inhibitors of syncytium formation, the fusing of cells caused by SARS-CoV-2, which reveals that the process is regulated by a calcium-activated ion channel and scramblase that is inhibited by the anti-parasite drug Niclosamide.