Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Alan Dove On episode #62 of the podcast This Week in Virology, Vincent, Dickson, and Alan discuss STEP HIV-1 vaccine failure caused by the adenovirus vector, presence of West Nile virus in kidneys for years after initial infection, adaptation of the influenza viral RNA polymerase for replication in human …
My experiments to understand how ZnCl2 inhibits rhinovirus replication have been thwarted by the finding that concentrations of the salt higher than 0.1 mM are toxic for cultured HeLa cells. The cells can tolerate 0.1 mM but not 0.2 mM ZnCl2. Last week I asked whether I could identify a concentration between 0.1 and 0.2 …
Before the development of cell culture, many viruses were propagated in embryonated chicken eggs. Today this method is most commonly used for growth of influenza virus. The excellent yield of virus from chicken eggs has led to their widespread use in research laboratories and for vaccine production. In fact the vast majority of influenza vaccines …
I joined host Marc Pelletier and George Farr, Justin Sanchez, and Dave Brodbeck for a discussion on recent big stories in bioscience. Topics included erasing memory, controlling neurons with light, the role of the new virus XMRV in prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome, and prions as genetic elements in yeast. [audio:http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/twit.cachefly.net/audio/fib/fib0050/fib0050.mp3 | titles=FiB 50] …
Xenotropic murine leukemia virus related virus (XMRV) has been implicated in prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Because XMRV is a retrovirus, it has been suggested that it might be susceptible to some of the many drugs available for treatment of AIDS. Of ten licensed compounds evaluated for activity against XMRV, just one, AZT …
If you have been reading this blog you know I believe that those who write about viruses must always make sure that they get the science right. I’m always on the lookout for violations. Are there any problems with the plush toys produced by Giant Microbes? I came across the influenza plush toy in my …
