Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler, and Matt Frieman
Matt joins the TWiV team to discuss the discovery of a SARS-like coronavirus in bats that can infect human cells, and what is going on with MERS-coronavirus.
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Download TWiV 258 (62 MB .mp3, 86 min)
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Links for this episode
- SARS-like virus in bats binds ACE2 (Nature)
- Bat SARS-like virus that infects human cells (virology blog)
- Coronavirus infections update (WHO)
- Lack of MERS coronavirus antibodies in humans (EID)
- Mice not susceptible to MERS-CoV (J Gen Virol)
- MERS-CoV case imported into Spain
- MERS-CoV like virus in European hedgehogs (J Virol)
- DPP4 amino acids positively selected in bats (Virol J)
- Image credit: Richie Frieman
- Letters read on TWiV 258
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Send your virology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twiv@microbe.tv
I think Alan is being a bit literal with the ‘science being limited by tools’ answer to Joe’s follow-up email. Sure the insight might precede the tools, but until the tools (mathematics in the Sun revolving around the Earth example) are developed, it remains simply an idea and not a ‘truth’.
dear friends
I am an ardent protagonist of picorna viruses.The question for me is how an MHC molecule can efficiently present a rapidly cytolytic virus like fmdv.It is rampaging my country.
how insightful it will be to design some novel materials to enhance immunity of vaccine?.
Are these scientists making a mountain out of a molehill by saying stuff like quasispecies?