Two back-to-back papers were published last week that provide a detailed analysis of what it would take for avian influenza H5N1 and H7N9 viruses to switch to human receptors. Influenza virus initiates infection by attaching to the cell surface, a process mediated by binding of the viral hemagglutinin protein (HA) ...

On epside #236 of the science show This Week in Virology, Vincent, Alan and Kathy review novel approaches to preventing influenza virus infection. You can find TWiV #236 at www.microbe.tv/twiv.

Miravirsen is a drug that binds to and blocks the function of a cellular microRNA called miR-122 that is required for the replication of hepatitis C virus (HCV). Treatment of chimpanzees chronically infected with HCV with this drug leads to suppression of viral replication. The results of a phase 2b ...

Episode #235 of the science show This Week in Virology was recorded before an audience at the 2nd Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology Symposium at the University of Alberta, where they spoke with Dave, Stan, and Lorne about their work on poxvirus vaccines and recombination, an enveloped picornavirus, antivirals against ...

The spring semester has just ended at Columbia University, which means that my annual virology course has also concluded. The course met twice weekly, during which time we discussed the basic principles of virology, including how virions are built, how they replicate, and how they cause disease. For the last ...