We found a viral Trojan Horse: a virus can hide inside another virus.This one surprised us: deltaviruses don’t just borrow a helper virus. They can travel inside it.
A literal Trojan Horse “virus-in-a-virus” route into cells. 🤯 Kudos to 1st author @viroscope.bsky.social and co-authors !
There's a common misconception that zoonotic viruses require significant adaptation to jump from animals to cause human epidemics.
Not so 👇.
Further, we see clear signs of 1977 flu experiencing cell passage, prior to epidemic.
SARS-CoV-2? Business as usual.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
An osprey perched on a bare branch against a clear blue sky. The bird's sharp gaze and majestic posture convey a sense of strength and vigilance.
Did you know? Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) have a preferred flying “stance”. When carrying fish, they usually keep the left foot forward. Like most skateboarders, they fly “regular”, not “goofy”🐦🛹 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30299002/
📸 auburn, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
#Birds #FeatheredFriday #Skater
World map highlighting countries where polio has been detected in the last 12 months
CDC issued a Global Polio Level 2 Travel Health Notice advising enhanced precautions
Tragic. We had polio almost eradicated, but disruption to vaccination campaigns due to COVID, global instability, defunding & vaccine hesitancy have led us here
#VaccinesWork
🧪
wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notic...
Graphical abstract from our new paper in Nucleic Acids Research with @saramaciasrna.bsky.social 🧬
DGCR8 prevents accumulation of endogenous dsRNA derived from Alu elements within mRNAs, avoiding aberrant activation of the interferon response.
academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
With Eugene Koonin, we propose a concept of “the selfish ribosome”, under which evolution of life is viewed as a ribosomal takeover, where the ribosome evolved to consume most of the cell’s resources, while other cellular componentry ensures the propagation of the ribosome. arxiv.org/abs/2602.23268
Find our latest Perspective article in Nature Genetics on "The role of KRAB zinc-finger proteins in expanding the domestication potential of transposable elements" at www.nature.com/articles/s41..., with implications for the future of research on the cause of human disease.
A bird with two very long tail feathers lies on a rocky ground at night, lit by a spotlight. Its speckled gray plumage contrasts with the dark background.
Did you know? The mysterious Nechisar Nightjar was once called the world’s least known bird, known only from a single wing found in 1990. The mystery was solved (or rather destroyed) by genetic analyses: tinyurl.com/ybcchzhh 📸 Ben Keen, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0) #Birds #FeatheredFriday
This is the corresponding publication: www.jneurosci.org/content/earl...
Go birdwatching to (potentially) protect your brain from age-related decline! #birds #HealthyAging 🐦 www.newscientist.com/article/2516...
1. Kevin Gross and I have a new paper out today PLOS Biology.
We used economic models based around screening games and the market for unpaid labor to highlight a meltdown cycle threatening peer review.
Transposable element regulation as a therapeutic target for #Aging
activating Suv39h1
inhibiting KDM4A
inhibiting TET
CRISPRi/a to program TEs in the genome
#OpenBiol 2026
royalsocietypublishing.org/rsob/article...
Summary of host protease subversion by viruses to escape the antiviral activities of antibodies. Yellow background shows the role of soluble decoys in luring neutralization, promoting immune dysfunction, or revealing epitopes, which generate non-neutralizing antibodies. Blue background illustrates how protease-induced conformational changes modify/hide neutralizing epitopes. Green background summarizes how viral subversion of host proteases lowers effector functions against viruses or infected cells.
#MicrobiologyMonday: Viral infections can hijack host proteases to reduce antibody effectiveness. These proteases lob off viral antigens expressed on host cell membranes, creating soluble decoys that bind antibodies & reduce neutralization. #JVirology: asm.social/2Pn
Chinstrap penguin taking a nap, with two fluffy gray chicks nestled underneath. The scene conveys warmth and protection, set against a rocky background.
Did you know? Chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarctica) take more than 10,000 micro-naps per day (~4 sec each). This adds up to ~11 hours of sleep, allowing them to rest while staying alert. www.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38033080/ 📸 Eamonn Maguire, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0) #Birds #FeatheredFriday
“Humans across multiple languages spontaneously associate the nonwords kiki & bouba with spiky & round shapes, respectively...We tested the bouba-kiki effect in baby chickens. Similar to humans, they spontaneously chose a spiky shape when hearing a kiki sound & a round shape when hearing a bouba.”😲🧪
Pregnancy-associated shifts in maternal microbiota across multiple body sites can signal to the placenta, influencing its function and fetal development.
Maternal microbial ecosystems are key in shaping reproductive physiology and pregnancy outcomes. While the gut microbiota has been extensively studied, the roles of microbes in other body regions are less clear. This #IAIJournal review provides insights: asm.social/2OQ
1. I’m quite happy with this popular piece that Lee Dugatkin and I wrote recently. For the next two weeks it’s free to read on the American Scientist website.
A parasitic wasp castrates its moth larvae hosts by injecting them with a ‘domesticated’ virus that causes cells in the larvae’s testes to die
go.nature.com/4aPzjbR
A bright blue indigo bunting perches on a thin branch, beak open as if singing, with a plain background.
Did you know? Indigo buntings (Passerina cyanea) don’t have any blue pigment in their feathers. Their color is the result of light refraction by a specific keratin structure. If you backlight their feathers, they appear brown. 📸 ShenandoahNPS, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
#Birds #FeatheredFriday
Register now for the March 4th JVI Seminar Series!
How does influenza A virus hijack host proteases to become infectious? 🦠
Join the next Journal of Virology® Seminar as Michael Vahey, Ph.D., explores hemagglutinin activation in the airway epithelium.
📅 March 4 | 11 a.m. ET
🔗 asm.social/2OB
Such a good example of cross-species transmission. Very cool story (apart from the poor mangabeys).
Pregnancy is a miraculously odd state of existence defined by a slew of changes, including to the immune system. These shifts are linked to everything from food aversions to infections, with important implications for pregnancy outcomes. Read the article: asm.org/articles/202...
A taxidermy oilbird is displayed on a white shelf against a pale background.
Did you know? Oilbirds (Steatornis caripensis) navigate using echolocation - just like bats (tinyurl.com/4tahavrs). Extra wild fact: their name comes from their extremely fat chicks, which were once boiled down to make oil.
📸 Anonymous, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
#Birds #FeatheredFriday
The fetal trophoblast cell marker HLA-G activates a type I interferon response in primary NK cells through the receptor KIR2DL4 | Science Signaling www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
DNA-protein cross-links promote cGAS-STING–driven premature aging and embryonic lethality | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Together with colleague and friend Carl Herrmann @uniheidelberg.bsky.social, we are looking for a motivated postdoc with experience in organoid culture and data analysis (#bioinformatics), for a project in the @hlsalliance.bsky.social Joint Postdoc call.
www.health-life-sciences.de/opportunitie...
In a new article with Kevin Groen, we review the most recent scientific developments relating to autoantibodies targeting type I interferons and their impacts on severe viral disease:
doi.org/10.1016/j.co...
A perspective article in EID on the health threats posed by Influenza D and canine coronavirus, highlighting zoonotic risk and the importance of surveillance at the animal-human interface. #OneHealth #PublicHealth
wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/32…
A Eurasian jay with vibrant blue and black wing feathers and a soft brown body perches on a mossy branch, set against a blurred background.
Did you know? Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius) don’t just share random snacks with their partners - they adjust their gifts based on their partner’s current cravings: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23382187/ 📸 Membeth, via Wikimedia Commons
#Birds #FeatheredFriday 🐦 🎁
