To a molecular biologist, the word ‘evolution’ evokes images of fossils, dusty rocks, and phylogenetic trees covering eons. The fields of molecular biology and evolutionary biology diverged during the twentieth century, but new experimental technologies have lead to a fusion of the two disciplines. The result is that evolutionary biologists have the unprecedented ability to evaluate how genetic change produces novel …
On episode #367 of the science show This Week in Virology, two Coynes join the TWiV overlords to explain their three-dimensional cell culture model of polarized intestinal for studying enterovirus infection. You can find TWiV #367 at www.microbe.tv/twiv.
The acquisition of a capsid is thought to be a key event in the evolution of viruses from the self-replicating genetic elements that existed during the pre-cellular stage on Earth. The origin of viral capsids has been obscure because their components are not similar to cellular proteins. The discovery that a viral capsid protein evolved from …
Exaptation: A cell enzyme becomes a viral capsid protein Read More »
On episode #366 of the science show This Week in Virology, Vincent visits Melbourne, Australia, where he speaks with four PhD students about their research projects and what it’s like to get a doctorate down under. You can find TWiV #366 at www.microbe.tv/twiv. Or you can watch the video below.
Johns Hopkins Neurovirologist Richard T. Johnson has died, and his obituary at Hub provides a good summary of his career. He had an important influence on my work early in my career. The first edition of Dr. Johnson’s book, Viral Infections of the Nervous System, was published in 1982 – the year I began my laboratory …
On episode #365 of the science show This Week in Virology, Vincent, Alan, and Kathy trace the feud over genome editing, a new virus discovered in human blood, and the origins of hepatitis A virus. You can find TWiV #365 at www.microbe.tv/twiv.
