This Week in Virology

Vincent, Alan, and Rich review concern over an influenza H5N1 transmission experiment, and a new host defense protein against RNA viruses.

Vincent and Rich visit the Microbiology and Immunology Department at the University of Michigan Medical School, and speak with Alice and Kathy about their work on HIV genome dimerization, and packaging and pathogenesis of mouse adenovirus.

A large TWiV panel remembers Ralph Steinman, and considers a new innate sensor of retroviral capsids.

Vincent, Rich, and Dickson review a meta-analysis on influenza vaccine, a killer virus in fungi that selects against RNAi, and the use of armed and targeted poxviruses for oncolytic virotherapy.

Vincent, Grant, Eurico, Paulo, Francisco and Janice discuss their work on bocavirus, infectious bronchitis virus, begamoviruses, and circoviruses at the Brazilian Virology Society meeting in Atibaia, São Paulo, Brazil.

Vincent, Alan, and Rich are very enthusiastic about two studies that show how gut bacteria help viral invaders.

Vincent, Alan, and Rich review an outbreak of rabies in arctic foxes and reindeer in Norway, and a prion that makes you go antiviral.

Vincent, Alan, and Rich cover the virome of raw sewage, and a baculovirus gene that causes caterpillars to climb to their doom.

Vincent, Alan, and Rich review questions and comments from TWiV listeners.

Vincent, Dickson, and Rich meant to do an all-email episode, but first they review results of the Blood XMRV Scientific Research Working Group, and partial retraction of the paper associating XMRV with chronic fatigue syndrome.