Science Communication 2018
We did a lot of science communication in 2018. By we, I mean all the individuals who gave their time selflessly to write for this blog or record podcasts with me. Here is a summary of what we did last year. virology blog
bacteria
Phage synergy with the immune system
Not long after their discovery, viruses that infect bacteria – bacteriophages – were considered as therapeutic agents for treating infections. Despite many years of research on so-called phage therapy, clinical trials have produced conflicting results. They might be explained in part by the results of a new study which show that the host innate immune system …
Agar Artist Caitlin Cahak
At ASM Microbe 2017 in New Orleans, I spoke with Medical Laboratory Scientist Caitlin Cahak about her agar art.
Prions in bacteria
Bacteria do not develop transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, but they have been found to produce prions – proteins that can adopt alternative conformations with different functions. Prion diseases, a frequent topic on this blog, are caused by misfolding of a normal cellular prion protein (illustrated; image copyright ASM Press). Prion proteins are found in other organisms, where the alternative conformation …
Viruses help form biofilms
Bacteria frequently grow in communities called biofilms, which are aggregates of cells and polymers. An example of a biofilm is the dental plaque on your teeth. Biofilms are medically important as they can allow bacteria to persist in host tissues and on catheters, and confer increased resistance to antibiotics and dessication. Therefore understanding how biofilms form is …
TWiV 323: A skid loader full of viromes
On episode #323 of the science show This Week in Virology, the family TWiVidae discuss changes in the human fecal virome associated with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. You can find TWiV #323 at www.microbe.tv/twiv.