Virology
TWiV 110: CSI virology
By Vincent Racaniello | | This Week in Virology
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Alan Dove, and Rich Condit On episode #110 of the podcast This Week in Virology, Vincent, Alan, Rich, and Dickson discuss bacteria that can utilize arsenic in place of phosphorus, the passing of Frank Fenner, polio outbreak in The Congo, solving criminal cases of HIV transmission, and classifying viruses by capsid structure. …
Are there viruses of arsenic-utilizing bacteria?
By Vincent Racaniello | | Basic virology, Information
A salt-loving (halophilic) bacterium which can grow in medium containing arsenic instead of phosphorus has been selected from the microbial community of Mono Lake in California. Arsenic (As) is a chemical analog of phosphorus and is usually toxic because it can enter metabolic pathways in the place of phosphorus. It appears to be incorporated into macromolecules of …
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Futures in Biotech 71: Genomics, Proteomics, Cellular Immunity, and Anti-Matter
By Vincent Racaniello | | Basic virology, Information
I joined Marc Pelletier, Andre Nantel, and George Farr on episode 71 of Futures in Biotech for a conversation about the 1000 genome project, the billion dollar human proteome, how antibodies block viral infection, and capturing anti-matter. [audio:http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/twit.cachefly.net/fib0071.mp3 | titles=FiB 71] Download audio FiB #71 (42 MB .mp3, 87 minutes) Download video (211 MB .mp4)
TWiV 109: Virologia en Mexico
By Vincent Racaniello | | This Week in Virology
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rosa Maria del Angel, and Ana Lorena Gutierrez On episode #109 of the podcast This Week in Virology, Vincent visits Mexico City and speaks with Rosa Maria del Angel and Ana Lorena Gutierrez about virology in Mexico, and their work on dengue and caliciviruses. [powerpress url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/twiv/TWiV109.mp3″] Click the arrow above to play, or …
Frank Fenner, MD, 1914-2010
By Vincent Racaniello | | Events
Australian virologist Frank Fenner, MD was born in Ballarat, Victoria in 1914. He earned a Doctor of Medicine in 1942 at the University of Adelaide, and from 1940 – 1946 he worked on the malaria parasite in Egypt and Papua New Guinea as an officer in the Australian Army Medical Corps. He subsequently began studying the …
TWiV 108: Barking up the right Tre
By Vincent Racaniello | | This Week in Virology
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Saul Silverstein On episode #108 of the podcast This Week in Virology, Vincent, Alan, Rich, and Saul review the evolution of HIV-1 specific recombinases, and down-regulation of a host microRNA by a viral noncoding RNA. [powerpress url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/twiv/TWiV108.mp3″] Click the arrow above to play, or right-click to download …
David Tuller
Trial By Error: In Protocol for Long COVID Exercise Trial, Investigators Advocate Lying to Participants
By David Tuller, DrPH Researchers are planning yet another trial of a rehabilitative exercise program for Long COVID—but, in this one, they propose to lie to all the participants about the nature of the study and the intervention being investigated. BMJ Open has recently published a paper called “Pursuing Reduction in Fatigue After COVID-19 via …
Trial By Error: Some Things I’ve Read Recently: Anil van der Zee on Sex, “Mold Warrior” Johnson, and a Rant Against the Word “Journey”
By David Tuller, DrPH Anil van der Zee says “Fuck M.E.” One aspect of ME and ME/CFS that receives perhaps too little attention is the impact on someone’s sex life. Engaging in sexual activity takes a significant amount of energy—and is therefore likely to trigger post-exertional malaise for many with this illness. Especially for those …
Trial By Error: Some Things I’ve Read Recently–Aboriginals and Long COVID, Tips for Disability Claims, Profile of Ron Davis
By David Tuller, DrPH Failure to address Long COVID in Australian Aboriginal communities Croakey Health Media is a small but feisty Australian news outlet that covers social and structural inequities in healthcare. Croakey recently published “a call for action to address Long COVID in Aboriginal communities,” which focused in particular on the situation in the …
Trial By Error: Journalist Simon Spichak on Lack of Focus on Post-Exertional Malaise in Long COVID Exercise Trials
By David Tuller, DrPH According to the headline of a recent article in The Sick Times, “less than 20% of Long COVID trials involving exercise even mention post-exertional malaise.” The news organization analyzed the registration records for Long COVID clinical trials and found that only a small minority assess or take into account post-exertional malaise (PEM), …
Trial By Error: JAMA Touts Long COVID Exercise Trial with Clinically Insignificant Results; Most LC Exercise Trials Ignore PEM, Per Sick Times
By David Tuller, DrPH In its current “Medical News in Brief” section, JAMA is touting and amplifying the questionable claims of a flawed trial to treat or prevent Long COVID published by one of the journals under its umbrella—JAMANetworkOpen. The JAMA headline: “Resistance Training Improves Long COVID Outcomes.” Technically, the headline is true. In the …
Trial By Error: Another Exercise Trial with Clinically Insignificant Findings
By David Tuller, DrPH A recent study from JAMA Network Open, called “Resistance Exercise Therapy After COVID-19 Infection: A Randomized Clinical Trial,” demonstrates some of the flaws that so often mar papers in this field of research. The trial’s reported results do not warrant the optimistic conclusion that the intervention “may be a generalizable therapy …
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