This Week in Virology

TWiV 644: Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good

July 23, 2020

In this mid-week edition, identifying flawed research before it becomes dangerous, Michigan governor tells America to mask-up, Pfizer mRNA vaccine gets $1.95 billion from Warp Speed, preliminary phase I/II results of the ChAdOx1 SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, answers to listener questions.

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

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US COVID-19 cases (NY Times) 3:45
Identify flawed research before it is dangerous (NY Times) 5:07
Mask up, America! (NY Times) 16:34
$1.95 billion to Pfizer (NY Times) 19:44
Phase I trial of Pfizer mRNA vaccine (medRxiv) 52:08
Phase I/II trial of ChAdOx1 vaccine (Lancet) 24:15
Rockefeller Foundation testing plan 59:40
TWiV 640 on MedCram 58:30
Letter drafts for $1 testing 57:50, 1:23:16
Letters read on TWiV 644 1:01:07
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 643: Bernie Moss, the real Poxdoc

July 21, 2020

From the NIH campus (recorded February 2019) Vincent and Rich meet with Bernie Moss to hear about his training and his remarkable 50-year-plus career working on poxviruses.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Rich Condit

Guest: Bernie Moss

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Reflections on Bernie Moss’ career (JBC) 5:56

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 642: Bringin’ in 50 keys of spike mRNA

July 19, 2020

Daniel Griffin provides a clinical update on COVID-19, then we discuss phase I preliminary results of the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine, factors associated with death in 17 million patients, and answer listener questions.

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

Guests: Daniel Griffin and Chuck Knirsch

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Travis County virtual Town Hall 41:39
SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine, preliminary results (NEJM) 52:46
Factors associated with COVID-19 death (Nature) 1:33:27
Letters read on TWiV 642 27:38, 1:41:45
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 641: COVID-19 with Dr. Anthony Fauci

July 17, 2020

Dr. Anthony Fauci joins TWiV to discuss SARS-CoV-2 transmission, testing, immunity, pathogenesis, vaccines, and preparedness.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Rich Condit

Guest: Dr. Anthony Fauci

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Dr. Fauci was previously on TWiV 219

Kiki’s Comments for this episode

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 640: Test often, fast turnaround, with Michael Mina

July 16, 2020

Michael Mina joins TWiV to reveal why frequent and rapid SARS-CoV-2 testing is more important than accuracy, how a daily $1 rapid test could control the pandemic, and why group testing works.

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

Guests: Michael Mina

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Download TWiV 640 (63 MB .mp3, 104 min)
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Michael Mina on Immune 26 2:46
White House bypasses CDC (NY Times) 5:06
Test sensitivity is secondary to frequency and turnaround time (medRxiv) 6:31
Group testing for SARS-CoV-2 (medRxiv) 39:29
Consider the cycle threshold value (Clin Inf Dis) 33:16
MERS-CoV spike nanoparticles protect mice from infection (Vaccine) 1:21:34
CoV spike protein nanoparticles induce neutralizing antibodies in mice (Vaccine) 1:22:30
Letters read on TWiV 640 1:00:49
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!
Kiki’s Comments

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 639: Virology Nobel Prizes with Erling Norrby part 2

July 14, 2020

Vincent and Erling resume their discussion of virology Nobel Prizes, focusing on awards for research on tumor viruses, bacteriophages, virus structure, reverse transcriptase, hepatitis B virus, HIV-1, human papillomaviruses and much more.

Host: Vincent Racaniello

Guest: Erling Norrby

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Download TWiV 639 (65 MB .mp3, 108 min)
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Nobel Prizes and Life Sciences by Erling Norrby 1:46:45
Nobel Prizes and Nature’s Surprises by Erling Norrby 1:46:49
Nobel Prizes and Notable Discoveries by Erling Norrby 1:46:47
Nobel Prizes: Cancer, Vision and the Genetic Code by Erling Norrby 00:58
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 638: Do, there is no try

July 12, 2020

Daniel Griffin provides a clinical update on COVID-19, then Viviana Simon joins to review serological assays developed at Mt. Sinai for SARS-CoV-2 infection, tracking the outbreak in NYC, and listener questions.

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

Guests: Viviana Simon, Daniel Griffin and Chuck Knirsch

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Download TWiV 638 (99 MB .mp3, 164 min)
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Links for this episode

Serological assay for SARS-CoV-2 infection (Nat Med) 44:29
Early spread of SARS-CoV-2 in NYC (Science) 56:42
Seroconversion of a city (medRxiv) 55:08
Immune response and PCR positivity of NYC cohort (medRxiv) 52:48
Letters read on TWiV 638 25:53, 1:29:53
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!
Kiki’s Comments

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 637: Clearing the fog of ignorance

July 9, 2020

In this episode, approval of an Ad5 vectored SARS-CoV-2 vaccine for the military in China, description and clinical trials of a Novavax vaccine joining Operation Warp Speed, prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Spain, shedding and transmissibility of the virus, and listener email.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, and Kathy Spindler

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Download TWiV 637 (66 MB .mp3, 109 min)
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Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 636: Georgia State viral

July 7, 2020

From Georgia State University, Vincent speaks with Chris, Andrew, Priya, and Richard about their careers and their work on Ebolaviruses, rotavirus, and antiviral drug development.

Host: Vincent Racaniello

Guests: Chris Basler, Andrew Gewirtz, Priya Luthra, and Richard Plemper

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Download TWiV 636 (68 MB .mp3, 113 min)
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Links for this episode

Mutant Ebolavirus lacks virulence (Cell Rep) 23:55
Blocking Ebolavirus replication by depleting nucleoside pools (Antiviral Res) 35:19
Herd immunity against bad actor molecules (PloS Path) 1:00:17
Bacteria prevent and cure rotavirus infection (Cell) 1:24:09
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 635: Mask hysteria

July 5, 2020

Daniel Griffin provides a clinical update on COVID-19, then we review SARS-CoV-2 shedding in children, how to resume school safely, the need for widespread testing and wearing face masks, and much more, including listener email.