On episode #371 of the science show This Week in Virology, the TWiVologists discuss the finding of a second transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils, and development of new poliovirus strains for the production of inactivated vaccine in the post-eradication era. You can find TWiV #371 at www.microbe.tv/twiv.
I have worked on poliovirus for over thirty-six years, first as a posdoctoral fellow with David Baltimore in 1979, and then in my laboratory at Columbia University. The end of that research commences this year with the destruction of my stocks of polioviruses. In 2015 there were 70 reported cases of poliomyelitis caused by wild …
On episode #370 of the science show This Week in Virology, the TWiVomics review ten captivating virology stories from 2015. You can find TWiV #370 at www.microbe.tv/twiv.
On the latest episode of the science show This Week in Virology, a swarm of virologists discusses testing of a MERS coronavirus vaccine for camels, and how a neuronal stress pathway reactivates herpes simplex virus. You can find TWiV #369 at www.microbe.tv/twiv.
On episode #368 of the science show This Week in Virology, a plaque of virologists explores the biology of Zika virus and recent outbreaks, and the contribution of a filamentous bacteriophage to the development of biofilms. You can find TWiV #368 at www.microbe.tv/twiv.
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 …
