This Week in Virology

TWiV 475: Everything is viral

January 7, 2018

The TWiV Team. From left to right: Vincent, Dickson, Alan, Rich, Kathy.

In the first episode for 2018, the TWiV team reviews the amazing virology stories of 2017.

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

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Links for this episode

ASV 2018: asv.org, asv2018.umd.edu
Virology stories of 2017 – in no particular order
1. A virologist in space – TWiV 444
2. Cool things viruses do: Astrovirus capsids are enterotoxins TWiV 423; giant Klosneuviruses encode lots of stuff for translation TWiV 437; Giant Noumeaviruses quickly make the nucleus temporarily leaky TWiV 440
3. TWiV 438 Drs. TWiV go to Washington and the March for Science
4. Unexpected stuff: TWiV 451 Expectorate the unexpected; TWiV 470 Just a passing phage; TWiV 456 Be careful of canons; TWiV 455 Pork and genes; TWiV 432 gamete fusion protein from viruses
5. TWiV 443 On a leaf no one can hear you scream. The puppet master.
6. TWiV 448 Mavis the structure maven
7. Viruses are us: TWiV 472 Riddle of the skinks; TWiV 439 The purloined envelope; TWiV 434 Live long and pupate
8. Antiviral RNA: TWiV 433 Poops viruses and worms; TWiV 449 The sound of non-silencing; TWiV 450 Ben tenOever and RNA out
9. Viruses as tools: TWiV 461 Gotta trace them all
10. Flaviviruses: TWiV 473, 471, 468; 458; 454; 451; 432; 430; 429; 426
NSF survey of earned doctorates
Letters read on TWiV 475

Weekly Science Picks

Kathy – Voyager recording and book
Rich – David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (Maktao)
Dickson – Global Croplands Map
Alan – The Great Influenza one day at a time
Vincent – The Doomsday Machine by Daniel Ellsberg

Listener Picks

Mark – Science Moms
Brian – Science of HIV
Andy – Ask Me Anything
Steve – Critical Attitude in Medicine

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 474: Call me fish meal

December 31, 2017

The TWiVanguardians take on Bodo saltans virus, a leviathan which infects an abundant flagellated eukaryote in Earth’s waters.

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

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Links for this episode

ASV 2018: asv.org, asv2018.umd.edu
Support Microbe.tv
Anti-dengue antibody and disease (J Inf Dis)
Bodo saltans virus (biorXiv)
Kinetoplast DNA (Euk Cell)
Crossword puzzle for book contest (pdf)
Letters read on TWiV 474

Weekly Science Picks

Kathy – Every second
Dickson – Top 10 Science Images 2017
Alan – Shortwave Radiogram
Vincent – Science March on Instagram

Listener Picks

Islam – Class Crossword (Armored Penguin)
Peter – The Last of the Iron Lungs

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 473: Assessing a risk and infecting you twice

December 24, 2017

The Fellowship of the Virus discuss enhancement of dengue disease in humans: the contribution of antibody concentration and increased binding to Fc receptors.

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

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Download TWiV 473 (67 MB .mp3, 110 min)
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Links for this episode

ASV 2018: asv.org, asv2018.umd.edu
Support Microbe.tv
NEIDL is approved
NIH lifts GOF moratorium (Science)
Blackburn steps down as head of Salk Institute (SD Union Trib)
ADE of dengue disease in humans (Science)
Commentary on ADE of dengue disease (Science)
ADE of dengue disease and antibody binding to Fc (Science)
Letters read on TWiV 473

Weekly Science Picks

Kathy – Today in Science History
Dickson – 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2017
Rich – SpaceX to orbit a Tesla
Alan – Debt in America
Vincent – The Death of Expertise by Tom Nichols (NYTimes review)

Listener Picks

Stephen – A Concise Paper
Johnye – Holiday song parodies (one, two, three)
Tom – SMBC: Are viruses alive?

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV Special: Ray Ortega in the podcaster’s studio

December 20, 2017

Vincent speaks with professional podcaster Ray Ortega about his career and the power of the podcast.

Host: Vincent Racaniello

Guest: Ray Ortega

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Links for this episode

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 472: The riddle of the skinks

December 17, 2017

The TWiV team reveal the origin of the poxvirus membrane, and how a retrovirus drove the development of the placenta of a lizard.

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

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Download TWiV 472 (69 MB .mp3, 114 min)
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Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 471: Songs of innocence and experience

December 10, 2017

The TWiVerinos discuss restriction of dengue virus vaccine by Sanofi, and data which suggest that Dengvaxia causes enhanced disease in previously uninfected recipients.

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

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Download TWiV 471 (66 MB .mp3, 108 min)
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Weekly Science Picks

Kathy – NASA is reinventing the wheel
Dickson – Stunning neuroscience images
Rich – Moneyball by Michael Lewis (film)
Alan – Diverse Sources
Vincent – Zombie gene protects elephants from cancer (Quanta, TWiEVO)

Listener Picks

Scott – Why Vaccines Matter by Cynthia Gorney and The Song of the Dodo by David Quammen.

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 470: Just a passing phage

December 3, 2017

The TWiV ninjas reveal that bacteriophage particles rapidly move across monolayers of eukaryotic cells from different tissues.

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

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Download TWiV 470 (71 MB .mp3, 117 min)
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Links for this episode

Transcytosis of bacteriophage across cell layers (mBio)
Image credit
Letters read on TWiV 470

This episode is brought to you by Blue Apron. Blue Apron is the #1 fresh ingredient and recipe delivery service in the country. Get $30 off your first delivery and FREE SHIPPING by going to blueapron.com/twiv.

Weekly Science Picks

Kathy – Photo of 3200 year-old tree in one image
Dickson – Microsculpture
Rich – A Short History Of Humans And Germs
Alan – Planets app
Vincent – Laptops Are Great. But Not During a Lecture or a Meeting

Listener Picks

Basel – Joint Pathology Center
John – OpenStax

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 469: Mycovirus stuffed potatoes

November 26, 2017

The TWiV hosts discuss a plant virus that infects a fungus, and whether you need to work insane hours to succeed in science.

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

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Download TWiV 469 (66 MB .mp3, 108 min)
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This episode is brought to you by the Department of Microbiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Composed of over 20 virology labs, all centralized in one building in the heart of New York City, this department is a perfect fit for anyone with an interest in pursuing virus research. For more information about the Department, visit http://bit.ly/micromssm

This episode is brought to you by the Virology and Gene Therapy PhD program at the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in Rochester, Minnesota. The renowned Mayo Clinic Virology and Gene Therapy program is currently accepting applications until December first. If you want to be trained in the exciting fields of oncolytic virotherapy, gene therapy, vaccine creation, or basic virology, visit mayoclinic.org to apply to the Virology and Gene Therapy program at the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.