This Week in Virology

TWiV 437: Kathy’s new spindle virus

April 16, 2017

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

The TWiVsters reveal new giant viruses that argue against a fourth domain of life, and discovery of viruses in the oceanic basement.

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Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education sci comm issue 3:55
Mark Wainberg dies 8:10
Giant viruses with many translation system components (Science) 18:25
Viruses in the oceanic basement (mBio) 37:10
2-back test 1:05:45
Photo by Judy
Letters read on TWiV 437 8:10, 1:03:10

This episode is brought to you by Blue Apron. Blue Apron is the #1 fresh ingredient and recipe delivery service in the country. See what’s on the menu this week and get your first 3 meals free with your first purchase – WITH FREE SHIPPING – by going to blueapron.com/twiv 0:55, 34:30

Weekly Science Picks 1:29:05

Kathy – Cloud appreciation society
Rich – High Rise Urban Farming
Dickson – Planets orbiting a distant star
Vincent – TWiEVO 18: Raiders of the lost orco

Listener Pick

Kevin – Cherry blossoms at Brooklyn Botanical Garden

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 436: Virology above Cayuga’s waters

April 9, 2017

Host: Vincent Racaniello

Guests: Susan Daniel, Colin Parrish, and Gary Whittaker

At Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, Vincent speaks with Susan, Colin, and Gary about the work of their laboratories on parvoviruses, influenza viruses, and coronaviruses that infect dogs, cats, horses and other mammals.

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Links for this episode

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 435: Two virus particles walk into a cell

April 2, 2017

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

The TWiVome discuss the blood virome of 8,420 humans, and thoroughly geek out on a paper about the number of parental viruses in a plaque.

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Timestamps by Jennifer. Thanks!

Weekly Science Picks 1:39:50

Alan – Couple donates insect collection
Kathy – Why is science important to you?
Rich – Hook
Dickson – Ten Incredible Astronomy Pictures
Vincent – Why Trump’s NIH Cuts Should Worry Us and
The Real Threat to National Security: Deadly Disease

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 434: Live long and pupate

March 26, 2017

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

The esteemed TWiVumvirate reveal the discovery of a new negative stranded RNA virus of wasps that regulates longevity and sex ratio of its parasitoid host.

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Download TWiV 434 (64 MB .mp3, 106 min)
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Links for this episode

ASM Microbe 2017 3:40
Parasitoid wasp virus regulates sex ratio (PLoS Path) 9:50
What is a contig? 27:30
Image credit
Letters read on TWiV 434 5:05, 1:06:15

Timestamps by Jennifer. Thanks!

Weekly Science Picks 1:23:40

Alan – The Wrath of Khan from Bug Chicks
Kathy – Boaty McBoatface submarine launching
Dickson – Fierce animal portraits
Vincent – Westworld

Listener Picks

Hannah – Plague, Inc
Stig – John Oliver: Trump vs the truth

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 433: Poops viruses and worms

March 19, 2017

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

The lovely TWiV team explore evolution of our fecal virome, and the antiviral RNA interference response in the nematode C. elegans.

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Download TWiV 433 (65 MB .mp3, 107 min)
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Links for this episode

ASM Clinical Virology Symposium 4:00
Evolution of the human fecal virome (PNAS) 5:20
Antiviral RNAi response in C. elegans (Curr Biol) 28:10
Orsay virus (TWiV 123) 33:40
Broad VSV host range (J Comp Neurol) 36:55
Image credit
Letters read on TWiV 433 1:04:50

Timestamps by Jennifer. Thanks!

Weekly Science Picks 1:26:45

Alan – Contact information for Senators and Representatives
Kathy – How Tumor Virology Transformed Oncology
Dickson – Seven new species of Peacock Spider
Vincent – Proposed NIH budget cut and Expensive Oxford Comma

Listener Picks

Kim – Pigeon Fashion Week (TWiEVO 7)
Richard – aeroMorph and Understanding Molecular Evolution
Johnye – Ice Instruments and Fahrenheit and Celsius

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 432: Conjunction junction, what’s your function?

March 12, 2017

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

The TWiVites discuss Zika virus seroprevalence in wild monkeys, Zika virus mRNA vaccines, and a gamete fusion protein inherited from viruses.

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Links for this episode

Nido2017 Meeting 7:05
ASMCUE 8:10
Seroprevalence of Zika virus in wild monkeys and baboons (mSphere) 22:25
Zika virus mRNA vaccines (paper one, paper two) 31:30
Gamete fusion protein is type II viral fusogen (paper one, paper two) 44:00
Image credit
Letters read on TWiV 432 9:45, 1:09:10

Timestamps by Jennifer. Thanks!

Weekly Science Picks 1:25:50

Alan – Raspberry pi
Kathy – The Worst F&#%ing Words Ever
Dickson – NASA images of climate change
Brianne – How herd immunity works
Vincent – Radioactive boars in Fukushima

Listener Pick

Margaret – DNA socks and gloves

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 431: Niemann-Pick of the weak

March 5, 2017

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

The TWiVirions reveal bacteriophage genes that control eukaryotic reproduction, and the biochemical basis for increased Ebolavirus glycoprotein activity during the recent outbreak.

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Download TWiV 431 (71 MB .mp3, 118 min)
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Links for this episode

Nido2017 Meeting 5:30
ASM Microbe 2017 6:00
Mark Buller obituary 9:00
RS virus pipeline (pdf)
Prophage WO genes and cytoplasmic incompatibility (Nature) 28:05
Vanderbilt Virology (TWiV 332) 40:00
Basis for increased Ebolavirus glycoprotein activity (Cell Host Micr) 45:20
Letters read on TWiV 431 3:50, 13:45, 1:15:15

Timestamps by Jennifer. Thanks!

Weekly Science Picks 1:40:55

Rich – Germ Theory by Robert P. Gaynes
Alan – Student Scientist Partnerships
Kathy – Symbiartic
Dickson – PaleoBioDB Navigator
Vincent – Kusama Infinity Room

Listener Pick

Chaim – How to fight back against the backfire effect

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 430: The persistence of herpesvirus

February 26, 2017

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

The TWiX cabal discuss sexual transmission of Zika virus in mice, and how immune escape enables herpes simplex virus escape from latency.

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Download TWiV 430 (63 MB .mp3, 104 min)
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Timestamps by Jennifer. Thanks!

Weekly Science Picks 1:22:35

Rich – Vipassana Momma (Dravet Syndrome)
Kathy – Landlines Chrome Experiments
Dickson – Origami Revolution
Vincent – Hunched Over a Microscope

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees.

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 429: Zika Experimental Science Team

February 19, 2017

Host: Vincent Racaniello

Guests: Katie Antony, Tom Friedrich, Emma Mohr, and David O’Connor

Vincent meets with members of team ZEST at the University of Wisconsin Madison to discuss their macaque model for Zika virus pathogenesis.

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Download TWiV 429 (48 MB .mp3, 78 min)
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Links for this episode

Badgers Go Viral (TWiV 260)
Rhesus macaque model of Zika virus infection (Nat Commun)
Heterologous Zika virus protection in macaques (PLoS NTD)
ZEST Data Portal

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 428: Lyse globally, protect locally

February 12, 2017

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

The TWiVsters explain how superspreader bacteriophages release intact DNA from infected cells, and the role of astrocytes in protecting the cerebellum from virus infection.