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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Links for this episode

• Support science education at MicrobeTV
• ASV 2025
• H5N1 virus kills great cats at Washington sanctuary (CNN)
• Macroevolution of bat coronaviruses in China (Nat Comm)
• EcoHealth Alliance funding suspended (Science)
• Conjugative plasmids support diverse and abundant phages (Nat Comm)
• Letters read on TWiV 1181
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

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

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