TWiV 215: Illuminating rabies and unwrapping a SARI

Virus in the gardenHosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Kathy Spindler

Vincent, Alan, and Kathy review the finding that rabies virus infection alters but does not kill neurons, and provide an update on the novel coronavirus in the Middle East.

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Links for this episode:

Weekly Science Picks

Alan – I’m a Scientist – The Film
Kathy – Humorous units of measurement (Wikipedia)
Vincent – Open access must enable open use (Nature)

Listener Pick of the Week

Tarwin – Plague Inc.

Send your virology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 214: This is your brain on polyomavirus

raccoon tumorHosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Kathy Spindler

Vincent, Alan, and Kathy discuss how coagulation factor X binding to adenovirus activates the innate immune system, and a novel polyomavirus associated with brain tumors in raccoons.

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Links for this episode:

Weekly Science Picks

Alan – Parasite of the Day
Kathy – Tour of International Space Station
Vincent – Earth as Art

Listener Pick of the Week

Robin – Angell on Big Pharma
Michael – Flu jokes
Jim – Database of Ted talks; Downloadable Ted Talks

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TWiV 213: Not bad for a hobby

TWiV Team in BSL4 suitsHosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, Alan Dove, and Kathy Spindler

In their final episode of the year, the TWiV team reviews twelve cool virology stories from 2012.

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Download TWiV 213 (88 MB .mp3, 122 min)
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Twelve virology stories from 2012:

  1. H5N1 (TWiV 190, 182, 177, 173, 168)
  2. Polymorphisms that control susceptibility (TWiV 175, 180)
  3. New virus receptors (TWiV 166, 210)
  4. XMRV: Last nail in the coffin (TWiV special)
  5. Polio eradication troubles in Pakistan (NY Times one, two, three; virology blog)
  6. Biomedical research crisis (TWiV 208, 184, 189, 194)
  7. Polydnaviruses in parasitoid wasps (TWiV 179)
  8. Carolyn Coyne’s placental barrier story (TWiV 193)
  9. Touring NEIDL (TWiV 200)
  10. Epidemiology (TWiV 169, 178)
  11. A good year for virus hunting (173, 183, 195, 196, 198, 199, 204)
  12. Pox accordion (TWiV 198)

Links for this episode:

Weekly Science Picks

Rich – Our Mr. Sun (IMDB entry) (wiki)
Alan – PubReader from NCBI announcement and instructions
Kathy – Popular Mechanics 110 picks for the next 110 years
Vincent – 366 days: Nature’s 10

Listener Pick of the Week

Matt – The flu vaccine controversy

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TWiV Special: Ignorance with Stuart Firestein

Stuart FiresteinHosts: Vincent Racaniello and Stuart Firestein

Vincent and Stuart discuss why ignorance – all of what we don’t know, and even what we don’t know we don’t know – is the driving force of science.

Download:  58 MB .mp3, 81 min

Links for this episode:

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TWiV 212: Apocalypse TWiV 122112 212

fungal snowmanHosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, Alan Dove, and Kathy Spindler

The TWiVerers answer listener email about genetically modified chickens, a hendra vaccine for horses, online education, curing color blindness, Roosevelt and polio, Th cells, and much more.

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Links for this episode:

Weekly Science Picks

Rich – Overview
Alan – Notes towards the complete works of Shakespeare
Kathy – Correlation vs. Causation (#1, #2, #3)
Vincent – Periodically inspired

Listener Pick of the Week

Mark – Life of a Nature paper
Ricardo – Things don’t go viral

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TWiV 211: Viruses r us

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, Santa HBVAlan Dove, and Kathy Spindler

The TWiV four discuss an mRNA-based influenza vaccine, and a phage tubulin that forms a filamentous array in the host cell that is needed for positioning viral DNA.

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Download TWiV 211 (70 MB .mp3, 97 min)
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Links for this episode:

Weekly Science Picks

Rich – Ocean Global Shark Tracker
Alan – The Field Book Project
Kathy – How to manipulate an army of zombies
Vincent – Science sculpture

Listener Pick of the Week

Stephen – WEHI.TV

Send your virology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 210: Bond, covalent bond

VPg linked to RNAHosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, Dickson Despommier, Alan Dove, and Kathy Spindler

The complete TWiV team reviews identification of the cell receptor for hepatitis B and D viruses, and the cell enzyme that cleaves the genome-linked protein from picornaviral RNA.

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Download TWiV 210 (67 MB .mp3, 93 min)
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Links for this episode:

Weekly Science Picks

Rich – Vendée Globe
Dickson – Earth at night
Alan – Trophée Jules Verne
Kathy – Science cookies
Vincent – Trilobite Glassworks

Listener Pick of the Week

Ken – Spanish flu pandemic model (teacher’s guide)
Jim – Santa Cruz Science Communication Program (also see SHERP)

Send your virology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 209: When the virus hits the fans

phage papercraftHosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Alan Dove, and Kathy Spindler

Vincent, Dickson, Alan, and Kathy answer listener email about deformed wing virus, West Nile virus, FluMist, influenza in Canada, viruses and the tree of life, and more.

Click arrow to play | Download TWiV 209 (81 MB .mp3, 113 min)

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Links for this episode:

Weekly Science Picks

Dickson – Cassini web site and Mars reconnaissance orbiter
Alan – OneZoom Tree of Life
Kathy – Viral tumor suppressor structure (Cell)
 Vincent – Spot the Station

Listener Pick of the Week

Ricardo – Once upon a time: The possible story of viruses
Jim – Encode, myIDP, Experiment Reproduction podcasts
Mark – MoMath

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TWiV 208: The biomedical research crisis with Jon Yewdell

jon yewdellHosts: Vincent Racaniello and Jon Yewdell

Vincent is joined by special guest Jon Yewdell to discuss solutions for ending the current crisis in American biomedical research.

Click arrow to play | Download TWiV 208 (63 MB .mp3, 87 min)

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Send your virology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 207: Silk sheets and viral infidelity

silkworm cocoonHosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Matt Frieman, and Kathy Spindler

Vincent, Alan, Matt, and Kathy review the use of silk to stabilize antibiotics and a viral vaccine, and an impaired-fidelity vaccine against SARS coronavirus.

Click arrow to play | Download TWiV 207 (76 MB .mp3, 106 min)

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Links for this episode:

Weekly Science Picks

Matt – Virus-associated pyramids (slide #11)
Alan – Similarities of wave behavior (YouTube)
Kathy – The glass transition
 Vincent – US cattle country in uproar at virus lab plans (BBC)

Listener Pick of the Week

Ricardo – Blackawton bees and Science is for everyone (TED)
Tony – Biophilia by Bjork

Send your virology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twiv@microbe.tv

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