TWiV 258: Hedging our bats

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler, and Matt Frieman

Matt joins the TWiV team to discuss the discovery of a SARS-like coronavirus in bats that can infect human cells, and what is going on with MERS-coronavirus.

Links for this episode

• SARS-like virus in bats binds ACE2 (Nature)
• Bat SARS-like virus that infects human cells (virology blog)
• Coronavirus infections update (WHO)
• Lack of MERS coronavirus antibodies in humans (EID)
• Mice not susceptible to MERS-CoV (J Gen Virol)
• MERS-CoV case imported into Spain
• MERS-CoV like virus in European hedgehogs (J Virol)
• DPP4 amino acids positively selected in bats (Virol J)
• Image credit: Richie Frieman
• Letters read on TWiV 258

Weekly Science Picks

Kathy - Optical illusion (YouTube)Alan - AmboceptorMatt - Reply all by Richie Frieman (audio sample)Vincent - The microbiology of beer

Listener Pick of the Week

Cassie - NeatoShopPeter - Synapse evolution with Seth Grant (BSP 101)

Send your virology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to [email protected]