Virology
Measles in the brain: Fusion gone awry
By Vincent Racaniello
The entry of enveloped viruses into cells begins when the membrane that surrounds these virus particles fuse with a cell membrane. The process of virus-cell fusion must be tightly regulated, to make sure it happens in the right cells. The fusion activity of measles viruses isolated from the brains of AIDS ...
TWiV 324: Viruses in the miR may appear more numerous
By Vincent Racaniello
On episode #324 of the science show This Week in Virology, Lee joins the TWiV team to discuss the value of post-doctoral training, and how a cellular microRNA assists in the replication of hepatitis C virus. You can find TWiV #324 at www.microbe.tv/twiv.
What does transfection mean?
By Vincent Racaniello
I have always had a problem with the use of the word transfection to mean anything other than the introduction of viral DNA into cells (illustrated for poliovirus). An examination of the origins of the word suggests that such use might be acceptable. The introduction of foreign DNA into cells is ...
Viral supercomputer simulations
By Vincent Racaniello
Jason Roberts, a virologist at the Victorian Infectious Disease Reference Laboratory in Melbourne, Australia, creates three-dimensional simulations of viruses showing how the molecules that make up the capsid and genome might move in very short periods of time. I visited Jason in his laboratory at the newly constructed Peter Doherty Institute, ...
TWiV 323: A skid loader full of viromes
By Vincent Racaniello
On episode #323 of the science show This Week in Virology, the family TWiVidae discuss changes in the human fecal virome associated with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. You can find TWiV #323 at www.microbe.tv/twiv.