Astronomers are worried by a satellite brighter than most stars
In this episode:00:45 A bright satellite is concerning researchersSatellites reflect sunlight down to Earth, and some do so with such intensity it risks obscuring astronomers' observations from ground-based telescopes. A paper in Nature suggests that the telecommunications satellite called BlueWalker 3 at times outshines most stars visible from Earth. Astronomers worry about the increasing number of such bright satellites making astronomy more difficult, and so the team suggest that future launches should undergo impact assessments.Research article: Nandakumar et al.Nature News: Huge new satellite outshines nearly every st...
Source: Nature Podcast - October 4, 2023 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts

TWiV 1005: COVID T vax and a virus from the blue
TWiV reveals plankton-infecting relatives of herpesviruses in the sunlit oceans, and a vaccine encoding non-spike T cell antigens that protects animals from severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Kathy Spindler, and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Register for ASV 2023 Research assistant position at FDA (pdf) MicrobeTV Discord Server Mirusviruses link herpesvirus to giant viruses (Nature) Tara Oceans expeditions T cell vaccine protects against severe COVID (Cell) Letters read on TWiV 1005 ...
Source: This Week in Virology - MP3 Edition - May 7, 2023 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Source Type: podcasts

How mummies were prepared: Ancient Egyptian pots spill secrets
In this episode:00:47 Chemical analysis of ancient embalming materialsMummification was a significant part of ancient Egyptian culture but, despite decades of research, much is unknown about the substances and methods used during the process. Now a team have analysed the contents of ceramic vessels uncovered in an embalming workshop that dates back to around 600 BC. The results reveal that some substances assumed to be a single thing were actually mixtures, while some came from far outside Egypt, providing a clearer picture of ancient mummification practices.Research article: Rageot et al.News and Views: Recipes for ancien...
Source: Nature Podcast - February 1, 2023 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts

TWiV 977: Ageing is infectious
TWiV covers a study of SARS-CoV-2 persistence at multiple sites in the human body, and the role of endogenous retroviruses in ageing and senescence. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Alan Dove, Brianne Barker, and Angela Mingarelli Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode •Research assistant position at FDA (pdf) •Register for ASV 2023 •MicrobeTV Discord Server •Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 (Nature) •Endogenous retroviruses and senescence (Cell) •Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Dickson – Baritone Saxoph...
Source: This Week in Virology - MP3 Edition - January 22, 2023 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Source Type: podcasts

TWiV 974: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin
In his weekly clinical update Dr. Griffin discusses poliovirus returns to New York wastewater, COVID-19 is more widespread in animals than we thought, increasing ventilation reduces SARS-CoV-2 airborne transmission in schools, the use of carbon dioxide monitoring to assess ventilation at a national infectious diseases conference, effectiveness of the bivalent mRNA vaccine in preventing severe COVID-19 outcomes, 7-month duration of SARS-CoV-2 mucosal immunoglobulin-A responses and protection, and long COVID outcomes at one year after mild SARS-CoV-2 infection. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS...
Source: This Week in Virology - MP3 Edition - January 14, 2023 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Source Type: podcasts

TWiV 932: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin
In his weekly clinical update Dr. Griffin discusses vaccine effectiveness against influenza illness in children, clinical manifestations of infection with poliovirus, spike protein-independent attenuation of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in laboratory mice, concordance of SARS-CoV-2 results in self-collected nasal swabs vs swabs collected by health care workers in children and adolescents, probable animal-to-human transmission of SARS-CoV-2 causing a pet shop-related outbreak, laboratory-confirmed COVID-19–associated hospitalizations among adults during BA.2 variant, SARS-CoV-2 specific T-cells and antibodies, Nirmatr...
Source: This Week in Virology - MP3 Edition - September 3, 2022 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Source Type: podcasts

Using quantum tools to track dark matter, why rabies remains, and a book series on science and food
On this week’s show: How physicists are using quantum sensors to suss out dark matter, how rabies thwarts canine vaccination campaigns, and a kickoff for our new series with authors of books on food, land management, and nutrition science Dark matter hunters have turned to quantum sensors to find elusive subatomic particles that may exist outside physicists’ standard model. Adrian Cho, a staff writer for Science, joins host Sarah Crespi to give a tour of the latest dark matter particle candidates—and the traps that physicists are setting for them. Next, we hear from Katie Hampson, a professor in the Ins...
Source: Science Magazine Podcast - April 28, 2022 Category: Science Authors: Science Magazine Source Type: podcasts

Using quantum tools to track dark matter, why rabies remains, and a book series on science and food
On this week’s show: How physicists are using quantum sensors to suss out dark matter, how rabies thwarts canine vaccination campaigns, and a kickoff for our new series with authors of books on food, land management, and nutrition science Dark matter hunters have turned to quantum sensors to find elusive subatomic particles that may exist outside physicists’ standard model. Adrian Cho, a staff writer for Science, joins host Sarah Crespi to give a tour of the latest dark matter particle candidates—and the traps that physicists are setting for them. Next, we hear from Katie Hampson, a professor in the Institute of Bi...
Source: Science Magazine Podcast - April 28, 2022 Category: Science Authors: Science Magazine Source Type: podcasts

TWiV 852: Tree man syndrome
A TWiV threesome explains the observation that humans with inherited T cell CD28 deficiency are susceptible to severe warts driven by human papilloma virus infection, but are otherwise healthy. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Vaccine Town Hall (ASV) Travel Award Applications (ASV) CD28 deficiency and severe warts (Cell) Vincent interviews Harald zur Hausen (virology blog) Letters read on TWiV 853 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – Every Pore on Your Face Is a Walled Ga...
Source: This Week in Virology - MP3 Edition - January 13, 2022 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Source Type: podcasts

TWiV 800: COVID-19 clinical update #78 with Dr. Daniel Griffin
In COVID-19 clinical update #78, Daniel Griffin covers ivermectin, convalescent plasma, disease in pregnant women, children and COVID, delta outbreak in an elementary school, validation of at-home antigen test, shedding in infected vaccinated people, mRNA vaccine antibody responses compared, AZD7442, fluvoxamine, one year outcomes in hospitalized patients, and post-vaccination disease. Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Do not take veterinary ivermectin (FDA) Ivermectin side effects (CDC) Do not use conva...
Source: This Week in Virology - MP3 Edition - September 4, 2021 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Source Type: podcasts

TWiV 776: Yes! We have no pangolins
TWiV reviews an analysis of animal sales from Wuhan wet markets before the COVID-19 pandemic, control of dengue by release of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes, and fatal dengue acquired in Florida. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Animal sales from Wuhan markets before COVID-19 (Sci Rep) Dengue control by Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes (NEJM) Fatal dengue in Florida (NEJM) Letters read on TWiV 776 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – You Know You’ve Worked Too Long in a Lab W...
Source: This Week in Virology - MP3 Edition - July 4, 2021 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Source Type: podcasts

New hope for vaccine against a devastating livestock disease
A vaccine candidate for a neglected tropical disease, and calls to extend the 14-day limit on embryo research.In this episode:00:46 A vaccine candidate for an important livestock diseaseAfrican animal trypanosomiasis is a parasitic disease that kills millions of cattle each year, affecting livelihoods and causing significant economic costs in many sub-Saharan countries. Developing a vaccine against the disease has proved difficult as the parasite has a wealth of tricks to evade the immune system. This week however, a team of researchers have created a vaccine candidate that shows early promise in mice.Research Arti...
Source: Nature Podcast - May 26, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts

New hope for vaccine against a devastating livestock disease
A vaccine candidate for a neglected tropical disease, and calls to extend the 14-day limit on embryo research.In this episode:00:46 A vaccine candidate for an important livestock diseaseAfrican animal trypanosomiasis is a parasitic disease that kills millions of cattle each year, affecting livelihoods and causing significant economic costs in many sub-Saharan countries. Developing a vaccine against the disease has proved difficult as the parasite has a wealth of tricks to evade the immune system. This week however, a team of researchers have created a vaccine candidate that shows early promise in mice.Research Arti...
Source: Nature Podcast - May 26, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts