In the first episode of viroLOGICAL, Florian Krammer takes a fundamental look at viruses: What are viruses and why are they not considered living organisms? He explains how viruses replicate inside host cells, how they were first discovered, and why their size, shape and genetic makeup can differ so widely. The episode also covers key concepts like transmission routes, incubation periods, R number, epidemics, pandemics and zoonoses, and discusses why factors such as climate change, globalization and closer contact between humans and animals increase the risk of future outbreaks.

ProMED: https://www.promedmail.org/

Krammer Laboratory at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai: https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/krammerlab/

Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Science Outreach and Pandemic Preparedness: https://soap.lbg.ac.at/

Ignaz Semmelweis Institute: https://semmelweisinstitute.ac.at/

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Krammer laboratory information

Krammer Laboratory at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Science Outreach and Pandemic Preparedness

Ignaz Semmelweis Institute

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Conflict of interest statement

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has filed patent applications relating to influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics, SARS-CoV-2 serological assays and NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines which name me as inventor. Mount Sinai has spun out a company, CastleVax, to commercialize NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and I am named as co-founder and scientific advisory board member of that company.

I have previously consulted for Curevac, Merck, Gritstone, Sanofi, Seqirus, GSK and Pfizer and I am currently consulting for 3rd Rock Ventures (US) and Avimex (Mexico).

My laboratory has been collaborating in the past with Pfizer on animal models of SARS-CoV-2 and with GlaxoSmithKline and VIR on the development of influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics and we are currently collaborating with Dynavax, Inspirevax and Inimmune on development of influenza virus vaccines.

My work in the on immunity and infectious diseases in the US is supported by the National Institutes of Health, but also by FluLab and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. In the past I have also received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH and the US Department of Defense.

My work in Austria is supported by the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft and by the Ignaz Semmelweis Institute through the Medical University of Vienna.