Author name: Vincent Racaniello

I'm Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Columbia University in New York. I run a research lab where we study poliovirus, rhinovirus, and other RNA viruses. I also love teaching about viruses - check out virology.ws, microbe.tv, or iTunes University for some of my offerings. I want to be Earth's virology professor.

India has been free of polio for three years

Three years ago today, on 13 January 2011, the last case of poliomyelitis was reported in India. This achievement represents a remarkable turnaround for a country where control of the disease had for years been extremely difficult. As recently as 2009 there were 741 confirmed cases of polio caused by wild-type virus in India. Being …

India has been free of polio for three years Read More »

Cutting through mucus with the influenza virus neuraminidase

Neuraminidase is one of three different viral proteins embedded in the lipid membrane of influenza virus (NA is blue in the illustration at left). This enzyme has a clear and proven role in virus release from cells. NA is also believed to be important during virus entry, by degrading the mucus barrier of the respiratory …

Cutting through mucus with the influenza virus neuraminidase Read More »

Scroll to Top