The TWiVstars reveal the diversity of herpes simplex virus type 2 in a neonatal population, and parallel adaptation of rabbits in three countries to myxoma virus. Click arrow to play Download TWiV 540 (66 MB .mp3, 109 min) Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV!
When viruses are introduced into a new population, selection pressures can lead to evolution of both pathogen and host. The pathogen must adapt to a new host, while the latter can become resistant to infection, leading to an arms race. An archetypal example of such host-pathogen evolution is illustrated by the attempt to control rabbit …
Rabbits and viruses: An iconic example of natural selection Read More »
The TWiV hosts present two potentially seminal papers, on long-distance chemoattraction of a host by a chlorovirus, and replication of a nanovirus across multiple cells in a plant. Click arrow to play Download TWiV 539 (62 MB .mp3, 102 min) Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Show notes at microbe.tv/twiv
by Gertrud U. Rey Timothy Ray Brown, also known as the Berlin patient (reviewed in a previous post), was the only person ever to be cured of HIV/AIDS. Until last week.
TWiV travels to the University of Iowa to speak with Wendy Maury and Stanley Perlman about their research on Ebolavirus entry and coronavirus pathogenesis. Click arrow to play Download TWiV 538 (37 MB .mp3, 62 min) Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Show notes at microbe.tv/twiv
Viruses have no intrinsic means of locomotion, but because of their small size their movement can be driven by Brownian motion. Propagation of viruses is dependent on essentially random encounters with potential hosts and host cells. An exception appears to be chloroviruses, which can attract their host from a distance.
