Vincent travels to the fifth Giant Virus Meeting in Tegernsee, Germany and speaks with Sheree Yau and Victoria Queiroz about their research on picoeukaryotes (tiny algal cells) and their viruses, pithoviruses, and an educational kit for virology classes.
The TWiV hosts present two potentially seminal papers, on long-distance chemoattraction of a host by a chlorovirus, and replication of a nanovirus across multiple cells in a plant.
From the TWiV team, human cowpox infection possibly acquired from a pet cat, and a new giant mimivirus of green algae with genes encoding enzymes of fermentation.
Vincent, Alan, Rich and Kathy discuss the association of a virus with sea star melting disease, and the finding of a phycodnavirus in the oropharynx of humans with altered cognitive functions.
Vincent, Alan, Dickson and Welkin review how a virus regulates the severity of mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, virophage control of antarctic algal host-virus dynamics, and human metapneumovirus infection in gorillas.