Virology – Biology 4310
Spring 2020
The complete 2019 virology course materials are available at virology.ws/virology-course-2019
This Columbia University virology course is offered each year in the spring semester.
Textbook
The recommended textbook is Principles of Virology. Vol I: Molecular Biology, Vol. II: Pathogenesis and Control (S.J. Flint et al., Third Edition, ASM Press 2015).
Other course resources
1. Students should read Prof. Racaniello’s virology blog for information relevant to the course.
2. Students should listen to the weekly podcast “This Week in Virology”, produced by Prof. Racaniello, for additional material about viruses relevant to the course. You can subscribe to TWiV at iTunes.
3. Lecture slides (pdf) will be posted at this website before each class.
4. Videocasts of all lectures (slides plus audio) will be posted at this website.
Lecture Schedule, Spring 2020
| Date | Topic | Reading | Slides | Study Questions | Video | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/22 | Lecture 1: What is a virus? | Flint Vol I Chp 1 €¢The evolving concept of virus €¢Cell size and scale €¢Pandoravirus |
Word | YouTube | |||
| 1/27 | Lecture 2: The infectious cycle | Flint Vol I Chp 2 €¢Influenza virus growth in eggs €¢The amazing cells of Henrietta Lacks €¢Counting Viruses €¢Viral RNA is not infectious virus |
Word | YouTube | |||
| 1/29 | Lecture 3: Genomes and genetics | Flint Vol I Chp 3 €¢The Baltimore scheme €¢ViralZone |
Word | YouTube | |||
| 2/3 | Lecture 4: Structure | Flint Vol I Chp 4 €¢Buckyball Viruses (YouTube) €¢Virus images at ViperDB |
Word | YouTube | |||
| 2/5 | Lecture 5: Attachment and entry | Flint Vol I Chp 5 €¢A portal for RNA exit €¢A human rhinovirus in chimpanzees |
Word | YouTube | |||
| 2/10 | Lecture 6: RNA directed RNA synthesis | Flint Vol I Chp 6 €¢Influenza viral RNA synthesis |
Word | YouTube | |||
| 2/12 | Lecture 7: Transcription and RNA processing | Flint Vol I Chp 8 through p277 Chp 10 through p364 | Word | YouTube | |||
| 2/17 | Exam I | ||||||
| 2/19 | Lecture 8: Viral DNA replication | Flint Vol I Chp 9 €¢No primer needed |
Word | YouTube | |||
| 2/24 | Lecture 9: Reverse transcription and integration | Flint Vol I Chp 7 €¢Museum pelts help date the Koala retrovirus €¢A retrovirus makes chicken eggshells blue €¢Reverse transcription animation €¢Retroviral influence on human embryonic development |
Word | YouTube | |||
| 2/26 | Lecture 10: Assembly | Flint Vol I Chapters 12 and 13 €¢Packaging of the segmented influenza virus genome €¢What if influenza virus did not reassort? |
Word | YouTube | |||
| 3/2 | Lecture 11: The Infected Cell | Flint Vol I Chp 14 €¢Metabolic manipulations in virus-infected cells €¢Rhinoviruses have a sweet tooth |
Word | YouTube | |||
| 3/4 | Lecture 12: Infection basics | Flint Vol II Chapters 1 and 2 €¢Transmission of influenza €¢Slow motion sneezing €¢Chikungunya an exotic virus on the move €¢How mosquitoes spread viruses |
Word | YouTube | |||
| 3/9 | Exam II | ||||||
| 3/111 | Lecture 13: Intrinsic and innate defenses | Flint Vol II Chapter 3 €¢The inflammatory response €¢Natural antibody protects against viral infection |
Word | YouTube | |||
| 3/16 | Spring Recess | ||||||
| 3/18 | Spring Recess | ||||||
| 3/25 | Lecture 14: Adaptive immunity | Flint Vol II Chapter 4 | Word | YouTube | |||
| 3/25 | Lecture 15: Mechanisms of pathogenesis | Flint Vol II Chapter 5 | Word | YouTube | |||
| 3/30 | Lecture 16: Acute infections | Flint Vol II Chapter 5 €¢Acute viral infections €¢Chronology of an acute infection |
Word | YouTube | |||
| 4/1 | Lecture 17: Persistent infections | Flint Vol II Chapter 5 | Word | YouTube | |||
| 4/6 | Lecture 18: Transformation and oncogenesis | Flint Vol II Chapter 6 | Word | YouTube | |||
| 4/8 | Lecture 19: Vaccines | Flint Vol II Chapter 8 €¢Influenza virus-like particle vaccine €¢Poliovirus vaccine safety |
Word | YouTube | |||
| 4/8 | Exam III | ||||||
| 4/20 | Lecture 20: Antivirals | Flint Vol II Chapter 9 €¢A new drug for influenza |
Word | YouTube | |||
| 4/15 | Lecture 21: Evolution | Flint Vol II Chapter 10 €¢Virulence – a positive or negative trait for evolution? €¢Increased fidelity reduces viral fitness €¢Why do viruses cause disease? |
Word | YouTube | |||
| 4/20 | Lecture 22: Emerging viruses | Flint Vol II Chapter 11 €¢MERS-coronavirus in camels |
€¢Nipah virus at 20 |
Word | YouTube | ||
| 4/22 | Lecture 23: Viral ecology | Word | YouTube | ||||
| 4/27 | Lecture 24: HIV and AIDS | Flint Vol II Chapter 6 €¢The London Patient €¢Interview with Beatrice Hahn |
Word | YouTube | |||
| 4/29 | Lecture 25: Unusual infectious agents | Flint Vol II Chapter 12 €¢Is chronic wasting disease a threat to humans? €¢Prion contamination in the emergency room |
Word | YouTube | |||
| 5/4 | Lecture 26: Therapeutic viruses | Flint Vol I Chapter 3 €¢TWiV 350: Viral gene therapy with Katherine High €¢Virus Watch: Cancer killing viruses |
Word | YouTube | |||
| 5/11 | Exam IV | ||||||