My colleagues & I live this every day. Low research funding success for most is soul destroying when there is such a large need. - "Australia being ‘left behind’ as federal research and development funding sinks to 30-year low theguardian.com/business/2024/… "

UBR5 promotes antiviral immunity by disengaging the transcriptional brake on RIG-I like receptors | Nature Communications nature.com/articles/s4146…

For anyone (like me) who is having trouble keeping track, below is a schematic showing the spike amino-acid mutations relative to Wuhan-Hu-1 in the SARS-CoV-2 variants BA.2, XBB.1.5, JN.1, and BA.2.87.1.

SARS-CoV-2 evolved variants optimize binding to cellular glycocalyx - check out the research by Ronit Freeman, Rommie Amaro & others in Cell Reports Physical Science #BPS2024 hubs.li/Q02kvzwv0

This is a very nasty virus to acquire! Dr Cameron Webb (Dr Cameron Webb) is this also heading to NSW? abc.net.au/news/2024-02-1… via ABC Australia

Characteristics of #SARSCoV2 BA.2.86 · BA.2.86 is more transmissible than EG.5.1. · Although BA.2.86 spike has higher ACE2 affinity, it is less fusogenic & replicative than EG.5.1 spike. · BA.2.86 is less pathogenic than EG.5.1 & BA.2 The Sato Lab (Kei Sato) cell.com/cell-host-micr…

Another example of an ancient retrovirus infection driving #humanevolution . Retroviral endogenization appears to have led to the emergence of vertebrate myelin. Add that to fact that we are placental mammals because of an embedded retroviral gene and 🤯 cell.com/cell/fulltext/…

Our paper on persistent SARS-CoV-2 infections (PIs) is now published in nature! Some key findings: - PIs are much more common than we thought - PIs are associated with higher odds of long COVID - Reinfections with genetically similar viruses are rare nature.com/articles/s4158…

What happens when a group of QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute virologists and entomologists write a Nature Rev Immunol review article on #arboviruses? Find out below 🦟 nature.com/articles/s4157…

A paper in nature reports on the ability of AlphaFold 3 to produce accurate predictions of the structures of proteins interacting with other biological molecules. AlphaFold 3 demonstrates substantially better accuracy over previous specialist tools. go.nature.com/44CAnev

📢 World Health Organization (WHO) Global #arbovirus initiative (GLAI): preparing for the next #pandemic by tackling #mosquito-borne #viruses with #epidemic and pandemic potential🦟. GLAI and its 6 constituent pillars are consolidated in this reference document➡️ who.int/publications/i…

Excited to share our latest pre-print describing the beautiful work of PhD student Mikaela Bell on the insect-specific alphavirus, Yada Yada virus. Mikaela successfully brought the virus to “life” for the first time using RNA fragments from mosquitoes. researchsquare.com/article/rs-445…

Check out our latest paper on bioRxiv! 🦟 🦟 🦟 Australian Culex annulirostris mosquitoes are competent vectors for Japanese encephalitis virus genotype IV. 🦟 🦟 🦟

If any of my virologist followers are interested in an exciting opportunity at QIMRB in Brisbane, please see below 👇👇

New review out from our lab looking at the state of vaccine development for flaviviruses. The field still faces challenges developing these vaccines, and so is it time to look at different approaches? Read about it below. mdpi.com/2076-393X/12/8… Vaccines MDPI

Check out the exciting work of Pritesh Desai, Courtney Karl and other coworkers looking at how infection with #worms can impair #SARS-CoV-2 #vaccine protection! science.org/doi/10.1126/sc…

ICYMI: A virally encoded high-resolution screen of cytomegalovirus dependencies by Stern-Ginossar lab published nature nature.com/articles/s4158…

Oropouche is spreading: Once confined to the Amazon, the virus that causes #Oropouche fever has been expanding its range since late 2023. In July, Brazil reported the deaths of 2 adults from the disease, the 1st since the virus was identified ~70 yrs ago nature.com/articles/d4158…

We are hiring! 2 #postdoc #positions in advanced infection models and in data-driven #virology tba on Sept 4th at tinyurl.com/2bdvs7yk Join an enthusiastic and international team of virologists Medizinische Uni in beautiful Tyrol. Join the club of those who #lovevirology