TWiV 34: Arsenic and facemasks

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Stephen Morse

Vincent, Alan, and Stephen Morse discuss progressive vaccinia in a smallpox vaccinee, arsenic and influenza in mice, facemasks and flu transmission, and antigenic and genetic analyses of the new H1N1 influenza virus.

Click the arrow above to play, or right-click to download TWiV #34 (54 MB .mp3, 78 minutes)

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Links for this episode:

Weekly Science Picks

Alan Org-Mode
Vincent Human/Swine A/H1N1 Influenza Origins and Evolution
Stephen The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin

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TWiV 33: Live in Philly

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Dick Despommier, and Raul Andino

Vincent, Alan, Dick, and Raul Andino recorded TWiV live at the ASM General Meeting in Philadelphia, where they discussed increased arterial blood pressure caused by cytomegalovirus infection, restriction of influenza replication at low temperature by the avian viral glycoproteins, first isolation of West Nile virus in Pennsylvania, and current status of influenza.



Click the arrow above to play, or right-click to download TWiV #33 (51 MB .mp3, 74 minutes)

Links for this episode:

Weekly Science Picks

Dick – National Museum of the History of Science and Medicine, Leiden
Alan – Beginning Mac OS X Programming
Vincent – Vaccinated by Paul Offit
Raul – HubbleSite

Thanks to Chris Condayan and ASM for making TWiV live possible. Recorded and edited by Chris Condayan and Ray Ortega.

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TWiV 32: Influenza in silico

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Raul Rabadan

Vincent, Alan, and Raul Rabadan converse about polio survivors in iron lungs, bocavirus, structure of mimivirus, and genome sequence analysis of influenza H1N1 viruses.

Click the arrow above to play, or right-click to download TWiV #32 (51 MB .mp3, 73 minutes)

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Links for this episode:

Weekly Science Picks

Alan The Franklin Institute Science Museum in Philadelphia
Vincent Pi Cubed for iPhone/iPod Touch (Sunset Lake Software, $9.99)
Raul Science and New England Journal articles on H1N1 influenza

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TWiV 31: Fever plus cough or sore throat

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dick Despommier, Alan Dove, and Marc Pelletier

Vincent, Dick, Alan, and Marc Pelletier summarize the past week’s influenza H1N1 activity, and discuss parvovirus infection of dogs and humans.

Click the arrow above to play, or right-click to download TWiV #31 (51 MB .mp3,  73 minutes)

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Links for this episode:

  • CDC and WHO web pages on the new influenza strain
  • MMWR update on influenza
  • Excellent influenza vaccine timeline at USA Today
  • Sequences of influenza isolates are at NCBI and GISAID (registration required)
  • Euthanizing dogs due to canine parvovirus
  • Novel bocavirus associated with acute gastroenteritis in Australian children
  • Viral genes that confer transmission of avian influenza virus through the air – PNAS
  • Influenza in feral pigs (J Wildlife Dis)

Weekly Science Picks

Marc Celestia, an application
Dick US Geological Survey website
Alan Society for Amateur Scientists website
Vincent Sneeze, an online game

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TWiV Special: Dr. Peter Palese

Host: Vincent Racaniello

Guest: Dr. Peter Palese

On this special episode of TWiV, Vincent and Dr. Peter Palese, noted influenza expert, discuss the origin and pandemic potential of the new H1N1 influenza virus.

Click the arrow above to play, or right-click to download TWiV Special (27 MB .mp3,  40 minutes)

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Episode transcript (download pdf)

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TWiV 30: A/Mexico/4108/2009 (H1N1)

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dick Despommier, Alan Dove, and Hamish Young

Vincent, Dick, Alan, and Hamish Young focus on the new H1N1 influenza virus, which originated in swine and is likely to be the next pandemic strain.

Click the arrow above to play, or right-click to download TWiV #30 (47 MB .mp3,  67 minutes)

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Links for this episode:

  • Original CDC report of California and Texas outbreak; recent updates here
  • Science interview with CDC’s Ruben Donis
  • CDC webpage on US status of influenza
  • WHO webpage on international status of influenza
  • Learn more about the outbreak an influenza virus biology at virology blog

Science blog of the week: GermBlog by Dr. Harley Rotbart
Science podcast pick of the week: Science and the City
Science book of the week: The Swine Flu Affair: Decision-making on a Slippery Disease by by Richard E. Neustadt, Harvey V. Fineberg

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TWiV 29: Swine flu returns

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dick Despommier, and Alan Dove

Vincent, Dick, and Alan talk about insect and human dengue virus host proteins, equine vaccine for WNV and EEEV, return of swine flu to humans, spread of polio in Africa, and listener email.

Click the arrow above to play, or right-click to download TWiV #29 (49 MB .mp3,  70 minutes)

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Links for this episode:

  • Discovery of insect and human dengue virus host proteins
  • Immunize your horse with PreveNile
  • Swine flu returns to California, Texas, Mexico
  • Polio spreads from Nigeria to 15 African countries
  • Dead Chinese woman on Russian train: no SARS or influenza
  • Jenny McCarthy body count
  • Ten dumbass reasons why people don’t get their flu shots

Science blog of the week: Science-based medicine
Science podcast pick of the week: WNYC’s Radio Lab
Science book of the week: Flu by Gina Kolata

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

TWiV 28: SARS

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dick Despommier, Alan Dove, and Eric F. Donaldson

Vincent, Dick, Alan, and Eric F. Donaldson discuss a new test for influenza H5N1, poliovirus in Minnesota, Koala retrovirus, batteries made from viruses, and SARS.

Click the arrow above to play, or right-click to download TWiV #28 (51 MB .mp3,  74 minutes)

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Links for this episode:

  • New rapid test for influenza H5N1 based on PDZ binding. Definition of ELISA.
  • Poliovirus isolated from Minnesotan (article 1 and 2)
  • Koala retrovirus: Japan story and review article
  • Batteries made from viruses (cathode and anode). Image of phage M13.
  • iMoleBuilder (iTunes link and review at Sunset Lake Software)
  • Discovery of Norwalk virus
  • Regulatin’ Genes (YouTube link)

Science blog of the week: The Great Beyond by Nature
Science podcast pick of the week: Sorting Out Science
Science book of the week: A Slot Machine, A Broken Test Tube by S.E. Luria (out of print – check your library)

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TWiV 27: Leaving latency

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dick Despommier, Alan Dove, and Saul Silverstein

Vincent, Dick, Alan, and Saul Silverstein revisit an ebolavirus needlestick accident, and discuss the role of TLR3 in formation of Negri bodies, a New England college closed by norovirus gastroenteritis, hand, foot, and mouth disease outbreak in China, and the exit of herpes simplex virus from latency by synthesis of VP16.

Click the arrow above to play, or right-click to download TWiV #27 (49 MB .mp3, 71 minutes)

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Links for this episode:

  • Update on ebolavirus needlestick accident
  • Formation of Negri bodies depend upon TLR3
  • Norovirus outbreak closes New England college
  • Hand, foot, and mouth disease outbreak in China
  • Synthesis of VP16 coordinates herpes simplex virus exit from latency

Science blog of the week: Biocurious
Science podcast pick of the week: NPR’s Science Friday
Science book of the week: A Conspiracy of Cells by Michael Gold
Dick’s pick: Andros Island Bonefish Club
Saul’s pick: Secret Science Club

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TWiV 26: Poxviruses

profvrr_opvHosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Rich Condit

Vincent, Alan, and Rich Condit converse about induction of polyomavirus replication in multiple sclerosis patients treated with the MS drug Tysabri, the extent of human polyomavirus infection, selection of influenza vaccines for the 2009-10 season, cowpox virus transmission from animals to humans, vaccinia-like virus infecting humans and cattle in Brasil, and poxviruses.

Click the arrow above to play, or right-click to download TWiV #26 (52 MB .mp3, 75 minutes)

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Links for this episode:

  • JC virus, Tysabri, PML, and mefloquine at virology blog
  • Seroepidemiology of polyomaviruses in human
  • Next season’s influenza virus vaccines and how they are selected
  • Cell-culture propagated smallpox vaccine
  • Cowpox tranmission from rats to humans (Germany and France) and from cats to humans in Italy
  • Vaccinia-like virus infecting cows and humans in Brasil
  • When good vaccines go wild (review)
  • Mosquito Map (thanks Duncan)
  • Pfeiffer & Kirkegaard paper on quasispecies and virulence in mice

Science blog of the week: Coevolvers by Devin Drown
Science podcast pick of the week: QuackCast
Science book of the week: Listen to the Music: The Life of Hilary Koprowski by Roger Vaughan

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

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