TWiV discusses presence of infectious avian H5N1 influenza virus in raw milk from infected dairy cows. dynamics of measles immunity from birth and following vaccination, and a mechanism for cis-preferential reverse transcription revealed by deep mutational scanning of hepatitis B virus.
Vincent travels to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory to speak with David Baltimore, John Coffin, and Harold Varmus about the discovery in 1970 of retroviral reverse transcriptase and its impact on life sciences research.
TWiV explains that COVID-19 is not harmless for young adults, FAA approval for Pfizer mRNA vaccine, lack of justification for the claim of reverse transcription of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and integration into the human genome, and lack of evidence for increased transmission by new variants in the UK.
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.
The TWiV hosts discuss the distribution of prions in the eyes of patients with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease, and the origins and evolution of RNA viruses.
The TWiV posse considers viral insulin-like peptides encoded in fish genomes, and antiviral immunity in insects by production of viral DNA from defective genomes of RNA viruses.
Vincent speaks with John Coffin about his career studying retroviruses, including working with Howard Temin, endogenous retroviruses, XMRV, chronic fatigue syndrome and prostate cancer, HIV/AIDS, and his interest in growing cranberries.
At the International Congress of Virology in Montreal, Vincent speaks with Carla and Curtis about their work on RNA interference and antiviral defense in fruit flies, and viruses in the sea, the greatest biodiversity on Earth.
Vincent visits Melbourne, Australia and speaks with Melissa, Alex, Gilda, and Paul about their work on HIV infection of the central nervous system, West Nile virus, microbicides for HIV, and the Koala retrovirus.
The Twivsters discuss how reverse transcriptase encoded in the human genome might produce DNA copies of RNA viruses in infected cells.