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This Week in Virology
This Week in Virology (TWiV) is a podcast – or netcast, as some prefer to call them, since you don’t need an iPod to listen – about viruses. It was begun in September 2008 by Vincent Racaniello and Dick Despommier, two science Professors at Columbia University Medical Center. Their goal was to have an informal yet informative conversation about viruses which would be accessible to everyone, no matter what their science background. We wanted to eventually bring other virologists into the conversation, to make it more varied and interesting. Alan Dove, a science writer, joined us late in 2008, and Rich Condit, a poxvirologist, joined in 2009. We’ve had a number of guests on the show and we’re always trying to get more.
Why are we doing this? Dick, Rich, and I have spent our entire academic careers directing research laboratories, so we have a lot of knowledge to share. Plus, we both enjoy teaching. Put those two things together, and you have TWiV. If you want to learn about viruses in a relaxing way, then TWiV is for you.
TWiV 66: Reverse transcription
- Details
- Created on Monday, 18 January 2010 01:27
- Written by Vincent Racaniello
On episode #66 of the podcast This Week in Virology, Vincent and Dickson continue virology 101 with a discussion of information flow from RNA to DNA, a process known as reverse transcription, which occurs in cells infected with retroviruses, hepatitis B virus, cauliflower mosaic virus, foamy viruses, and even in uninfected cells.
Host links Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier
Links for this episode:
- Discovery of RNA tumor viruses
- Reverse transcriptase found by Temin and Baltimore (pdfs)
- Figures for this episode
Video
Download TWiV 66 video
.m4v video file (iPod | iPhone)
Contact
Send your virology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or leave voicemail at Skype: twivpodcast. You can also send articles that you would like us to discuss by tagging them with 'twiv' here at microbeworld.org.Weekly science picks:
Vincent Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDSDownload
TWiV #66 (50 MB .mp3, 68 minutes)
Sponsor
This episode is sponsored by Data Robotics Inc. To receive $50 off a Drobo or $100 off a Drobo S, visit drobo.com/twiv and use the promotion code VINCENT.
TWiV 65: Matt's bats
- Details
- Created on Monday, 11 January 2010 02:00
- Written by Vincent Racaniello
On episode #65 of the podcast This Week in Virology, Vincent, Alan, and Matthew Frieman Vincent, Alan, and Matt discuss a project to study the RNA virome of Northeastern American bats, failure to detect XMRV in UK chronic fatigue syndrome patients, and DNA of bornavirus, an RNA virus, in mammalian genomes.
Host links Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Matthew Frieman
Links for this episode:
- Mist net Indigo Tunnel, Western Maryland Railway (jpg)
- Eric Donaldson and Amy Haskew with bat in holding bag (jpg)
- XMRV not detected in UK chronic fatigue syndrome patients (virology blog)
- Bornavirus DNA in the mammalian genome
- Arenavirus DNA can be integrated into the cell genome
- Rabid raccoons in Central Park, NYC
Contact
Download
TWiV #65 (58 MB .mp3, 80 minutes)
Sponsor
This episode is sponsored by Data Robotics Inc. To receive $50 off a Drobo or $100 off a Drobo S, visit drobostore.com and use the promotion code VINCENT.
TWiV 64: Ten virology stories of 2009
- Details
- Created on Sunday, 03 January 2010 17:05
- Written by Vincent Racaniello
On episode #64 of the podcast This Week in Virology, Vincent, Alan, and Rich discuss ten compelling virology stories of 2009.
Host links Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Rich Condit
Ten virology stories of 2009:
- Pandemic influenza: Swine-origin H1N1 virus (TWiV 36)
- XMRV, prostate cancer, and chronic fatigue syndrome (TWiV 50, 55)
- AIDS vaccine 'success' (TWiV 51)
- Colony collapse disorder (TWiV 46, 49)
- AIDS-like disease in wild chimps (TWiV 45)
- Diverse viral community in Antarctic lake (TWiV 58)
- Polyomavirus seroepidemiology in humans (TWiV 26)
- Poxvirus threatens UK red squirrels (TWiV 63)
- Polio spreads from Nigeria (TWiV 29)
- How mosquitoes survive Dengue virus infection (TWiV 21)
Contact
Download
TWiV #64 (68 MB .mp3, 94 minutes)
TWiV 63: Melting pot virus
- Details
- Created on Monday, 21 December 2009 02:08
- Written by Vincent Racaniello
On episode #63 of the podcast This Week in Virology, Vincent, Alan, and Rich talk about US government contract for freeze-dried smallpox vaccine, red squirrels in the UK threatened by poxvirus, and Marseillevirus, another DNA virus from amoebae built for comfort and speed.
Host links Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Rich Condit
Links for this episode:
- US Government awards contract to Bavarian Nordic for freeze-dried smallpox vaccine (pdf and clinical trial)
- UK red squirrels threatened by poxvirus: news article one and two,epidemiologyand experimental infection
- Another huge virus from amoebae (Wired article, PNASarticle, review article)
- Discussion on rabies bait vaccine at virology blog, and status of the program
- Viral diseases of humans (pdf)
Contact
Download
TWiV #63 (64 MB .mp3, 89 minutes)
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TWiV 62: Persistence of West Nile virus
- Details
- Created on Sunday, 13 December 2009 14:26
- Written by Vincent Racaniello
On episode #62 of the podcast This Week in Virology, Vincent, Dickson, and Alan discuss STEP HIV-1 vaccine failure caused by the adenovirus vector, presence of West Nile virus in kidneys for years after initial infection, adaptation of the influenza viral RNA polymerase for replication in human cells, and the significance of the D225G change in the influenza HA protein.
Host links Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Alan Dove
Links for this episode:
- HIV vaccine failure probably caused by adenovirus vector used
- Persistence of West Nile virus in kidneys for years (JID and ProMedMail) (thanks, Lenn!)
- Adaptive strategies of influenza RNA polymerase for replication in humans
- New CDC estimates of 2009 H1N1 infection in US
- Receptor binding specificity of 2009 H1N1 virus
- Distribution of sialic acids in human respiratory tract
Contact
Send your virology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or leave voicemail at Skype: twivpodcast. You can also send articles that you would like us to discuss by tagging them with 'twiv' here at microbeworld.org.
Download
TWiV #62 (47 MB .mp3, 66 minutes)
Sponsor
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TWiV 61: Original antigenic sin
- Details
- Created on Sunday, 06 December 2009 14:49
- Written by Vincent Racaniello
On episode 61 of the podcast "This Week in Virology", Vincent and Dick muse about the symbiotic bacterium,Wolbachia, that protects flies from viral infection, the origin of 2009 influenza H1N1 virus, and the lure of original antigenic sin.
Host links Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier
Links for this episode:
- Variation in antiviral protection mediated by different Wolbachia strains in Drosophila simulans
- Wolbachia induces resistance to RNA virus infections in Drosophila
- Wolbachia reduces blood-feeding success in Dengue mosquito
- Did 2009 H1N1 influenza come from a laboratory?
- Influenza original antigenic sin in mice but not in humans
- Dengue outbreak in Mexico (thanks Swiss compass!)
- Pig at Minnesota state fair infected with 2009 H1N1 (thanks Swiss compass!)
- Baby kissing pig (jpg) (thanks Swiss compass!)
Contact
Send your virology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or leave voicemail at Skype: twivpodcast. You can also send articles that you would like us to discuss by tagging them with 'twiv' here at microbeworld.org.
Download
TWiV #61 (45 MB .mp3, 62 minutes)
Sponsor
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TWiV 60: Making viral RNA
- Details
- Created on Sunday, 29 November 2009 19:15
- Written by Vincent Racaniello
Vincent and Dickson continue Virology 101 with a discussion of how RNA viruses produce mRNA and replicate their genomes.
Host links Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier
Links for this episode:
- Diagrams of viral RNA synthesis
- Animations of influenza virus and HIV-1 replication
- Video for this episode - see below
Contact
Send your virology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or leave voicemail at Skype: twivpodcast. You can also send articles that you would like us to discuss by tagging them with 'twiv' here at microbeworld.org.
Download
TWiV #60 (51 MB .mp3, 71 minutes)
Video
Download TWiV 60 video
Sponsor
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TWiV 59: Dog bites virus
- Details
- Created on Sunday, 22 November 2009 14:47
- Written by Vincent Racaniello
A TWiV panel of five considers the finding of Streptococcus pneumoniae in fatal H1N1 cases in Argentina, hysteria in the Ukraine over pandemic influenza, and human vaccinia infection after contact with a raccoon rabies vaccine bait.
Host links Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, Gustavo Palacios, and Mady Hornig
Links for this episode:
- Argentine flu death mystery
- H1N1 influenza outbreak in Ukraine (article one and two, and WHO statement)
- Human vaccinia infection after contact with rabies vaccine bait
- Agrippal S1 inactivated H1N1 vaccine (pdf - thanks Ariel and Ayelet)
- Nick's letter on are viruses and life
- Take the poll: are viruses alive?
Contact
Send your virology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or leave voicemail at Skype: twivpodcast. You can also send articles that you would like us to discuss to delicious and tagging them with to:twivpodcast.
Download
TWiV #59 (58 MB .mp3, 80 minutes)
Sponsor
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TWiV 58: Nipah virus in ferrets
- Details
- Created on Sunday, 15 November 2009 14:29
- Written by Vincent Racaniello
Vincent, Dick, and Alan are joined by emergency medicine physician Dr. Joshua Stillman to talk about passive antibody therapy for Nipah infection in ferrets, annual influenza immunization of children, facemasks to prevent influenza, predicting dengue outbreaks by the weather, and the amazing viral communities in an icy Antarctic lake.
Host links Vincent Racaniello, Dick Despommier, Alan Dove, and Joshua Stillman
Links for this episode:
- Post-exposure passive antibody therapy for Nipah virus in ferret
- Image above left shows Nipah viral antigen (red) in ferret brain ependymal epithelium
- Is yearly influenza vaccination of children a bad idea?
- Debate on N95 masks vs surgical masks to prevent influenza
- Weather patterns help predict dengue outbreaks
- Diverse viral community in Antarctica's icy lakes (thanks Russ!)
- Tamiflu in Japanese river waters (see TWiV 40 - thanks Russ!)
- Chlorine dioxide gas removes influenza virus (thanks André!)
Contact
Send your virology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or leave voicemail at Skype : twivpodcast. You can also send articles that you would like us to discuss to delicious and tagging them with to:twivpodcast.
Download
TWiV #58 (52 MB .mp3, 73 minutes)
Sponsor
Try GotoMyPC free for 30 days! For this special offer, visit www.gotomypc.com/podcast
TWiV 57: Virology in high school
- Details
- Created on Sunday, 08 November 2009 15:12
- Written by Vincent Racaniello
Vincent visits Scotch Plains – Fanwood High School and talks about viruses with high school biology students.
Host links: Vincent Racaniello
Links for this episode:
- Vincent’s presentation (pdf)
- Thank you letters
- Oncolytic reovirus
- Does rhinovirus interfere with influenza?
Contact
Send your virology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or leave voicemail at Skype : twivpodcast. You can also send articles that you would like us to discuss to delicious and tagging them with to:twivpodcast.
Download
TWiV #57 (68 MB .mp3, 94 minutes)
Sponsor
Try GotoMyPC free for 30 days! For this special offer, visit www.gotomypc.com/podcast
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