Virology
Zika virus comics: Zanzare
By Vincent Racaniello
Dr. Susan Nasif is a virologist and part of the team at Cimaza Comics that produces science-themed comics. In their latest creation, Zanzare, we are plunged head-first into the global mystery of Zika virus. We meet the mosquitoes (in Italian: zanzare) implicated in its spread; but the insects plead their innocence, saying ...
Zika virus, like all other viruses, is mutating
By Vincent Racaniello
Not long after the appearance of an outbreak of viral disease, first scientists, and then newswriters, blame it all on mutation of the virus. It happened during the Ebolavirus outbreak in West Africa, and now it's happening with Zika virus. The latest example is by parasitologist Peter Hotez, who writes in ...
TWiV 384: Agent 003, a view to a fish kill
By Vincent Racaniello
Mass die-offs of tilapia by a novel orthomyxo-like virus, Ian Lipkin's editorial on the movie Vaxxed, and new vaccines to prevent dengue virus infections, including a human challenge model, are topics of episode #384 of the science show This Week in Virology. With guests Ian Lipkin and Nischay Mishra from the Center ...
Structure of Zika virus
By Vincent Racaniello
Six months after Zika virus became a household word, we now know the three-dimensional structure of the virus particle. And it looks like very much like other flaviviruses, such as West Nile and dengue viruses. In the old days, solving a virus structure was a big deal. A virus is, after ...
TWiV 383: A zillion Zika papers and a Brazilian
By Vincent Racaniello
Esper Kallas and the Merry TWiXters analyze the latest data on Zika virus and microcephaly in Brazil, and discuss publications on a mouse model for disease, infection of a fetus, mosquito vector competence, and the cryo-EM structure of the virus particle. All on episode #383 of the science show This Week ...
