TWiV discusses an outbreak of influenza H5N1 that killed over half of the great cats at a Washington sanctuary, origin and cross-species transmission of bat coronaviruses in China, and the diverse and abundant phages that enter cells via receptors encoded on conjugative plasmids.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, and Jolene Ramsey

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Download TWiV 1181 (68 MB .mp3, 113 min)
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Links for this episode

• Support science education at MicrobeTV
• ASV 2025 4:37
• H5N1 virus kills great cats at Washington sanctuary (CNN) 8:10
• Macroevolution of bat coronaviruses in China (Nat Comm) 10:15
• EcoHealth Alliance funding suspended (Science) 32:00
• Conjugative plasmids support diverse and abundant phages (Nat Comm) 38:35
• Letters read on TWiV 1181 1:25:05
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks 1:34:24

Rich – Pareidolia (wiki)
Jolene – Pathways to Science database
Vincent – Wendy Carlos and Switched-On Bach

Listener Picks

Arjan – Gutsick Gibbon’s YouTube channel
Alan – 2024 Nobel Prize Lectures in Chemistry

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.