A new breed of vaccines is on the horizon: they replicate in one type of cell, allowing for their production, but will not replicate in humans. Two different examples have recently been described for influenza and chikungunya viruses. The influenza virus vaccine is produced by introducing multiple amber (UAG) translation stop ...

The TWiV gurus describe how to use an orthogonal translation system to produce infectious but replication-incompetent influenza vaccines. You can find TWiV #420 at microbe.tv/twiv, or listen below. [powerpress url="http://traffic.libsyn.com/twiv/TWiV420.mp3"] Click arrow to play Download TWiV 420 (70 MB .mp3, 116 min) Subscribe (free): iTunes, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV!

In a recent editorial, the New York Times wrote about 'the breakdown of a shared public reality built upon widely accepted facts'. As a scientist, I am appalled by the disdain for facts shown by many in this country, including the President-Elect. Unfortunately, science is not without its share of fake information. The ...

The TWiVrific gang reveal how integration of a virophage into the nuclear genome of a marine protozoan enhances host survival after infection with a giant virus. You can find TWiV #419 at microbe.tv/twiv, or listen below. [powerpress url="http://traffic.libsyn.com/twiv/TWiV419.mp3"] Click arrow to play Download TWiV 419 (64 MB .mp3, 105 min) Subscribe (free): iTunes, RSS, email Become ...

Virophages (the name means virus eater) were first discovered to replicate only in amoeba infected with the giant mimiviruses or mamaviruses.  They reduce yields of the giant viruses, and also decrease killing of the host cell. Another virophage called mavirus has been found to integrate into the genome of its host and behaves like ...