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.

• 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

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

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

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