This Week in Virology
{{Short description|Science podcast}}
{{Infobox podcast
| title = This Week in Virology
| image = TWiV cover.jpg
| caption =
| hosting = Vincent Racaniello (2008—present)
with co-hosts:
Dickson Despommier (2008—2024)
Alan Dove (2008—present)
Rich Condit (2009—present)
Kathy Spindler (2012—present)
Brianne Barker (2018—present)
Angela Mingarelli (2022—present)
Jolene Ramsey (2023—present)
| genre = Science, Virology
| format = {{hlist|Audio|Video}}
| creator = Vincent Racaniello
| length = 40 minutes – 2.5 hours
| language = English
| production =
| num_episodes = 1013 (as of 4 June 2023)
plus 24 special episodes
| began = {{Start date|2008|09|24}}
| audio format = MP3
| video format = YouTube
| ended =
| provider = microbe.tv
| ratings =
| website = {{URL|https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/}}
}}
This Week in Virology (abbreviated as TWiV; {{IPAc-en|ˈ|t|w|ɪ|v}}) is a science podcast founded and hosted by Vincent Racaniello{{Cite web |last=Joy |first=William |date=2020-05-11 |title=Virology professor separates fact from fiction about the coronavirus |url=https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/virology-professor-coronavirus-facts/287-30148acf-086a-4407-ae19-42b8aba5a060 |access-date=2020-07-28 |website=wfaa.com |language=en-US |archive-date=2020-07-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728050257/https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/virology-professor-coronavirus-facts/287-30148acf-086a-4407-ae19-42b8aba5a060 |url-status=live }} with co-hosts Brianne Barker, Rich Condit, Dickson Despommier, Alan Dove, and Kathy Spindler. The podcast, which began in 2008, covers all things viruses ("the kind that make you sick!") and gained a significant audience during the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite web |url=http://www.microbe.tv/twiv/twiv-645/ |title=TWiV 645: Lions and tigers and zookeepers (oh my) |author= |date=July 26, 2020 |website=This Week in Virology |access-date=2020-07-28 |archive-date=2021-07-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210705215431/https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/twiv-645/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Columbia University |date=2020-03-31 |title=Viral Columbia Podcast Keeps Listeners Up to Date on Coronavirus |url=https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/viral-columbia-podcast-keeps-listeners-date-coronavirus |access-date=2020-07-28 |website=Columbia University Irving Medical Center |language=en |archive-date=2021-05-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210522194142/https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/viral-columbia-podcast-keeps-listeners-date-coronavirus |url-status=live }} Originally available in audio form only, the show added a video-conference stream in 2020. In addition to regular panelists, there are frequent segments featuring front-line researchers, including director of the NIAID, Anthony Fauci.{{cite web |url=http://www.microbe.tv/twiv/guests/ |title=Guests |author= |website=This Week in Virology |date=December 2015 |access-date=2020-07-28 |archive-date=2021-06-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603073426/https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/guests/ |url-status=live }} It is one of several podcasts at [https://www.microbe.tv microbe.tv] that are hosted by Vincent Racaniello.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}
Evolving coverage
This Week in Virology grew its audience significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and although its title remained the same, in early 2020, the frequency of podcasts increased to two or three per week in order to cover breaking news about the dynamic state of research and treatment of the disease.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}
A physician specializing in infectious diseases, Daniel O. Griffin, who is located in the New York metropolitan area,{{cite web |url=https://www.prohealthcare.com/locations-nav/providers/ny/daniel-griffin/1831125640.html |title=Daniel Griffin, MD |author= |website=ProHEALTH Care |access-date=2020-07-28 |archive-date=2021-02-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225095243/https://www.prohealthcare.com/locations-nav/providers/ny/daniel-griffin/1831125640.html |url-status=live }} became a reoccurring guest to give clinical updates on Coronavirus disease 2019. Since December 2020, Griffin's clinical updates are given separate episode numbers and featured as standalone elements that may be accessed individually. Depending upon current events, his clinical updates vary from a half hour to an hour and may cover other pandemics.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}
Due to the Trump Administration's conflicting statements about the nature and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, during that time the podcast received criticism from some quarters for getting "too involved in politics", to which the panelists replied that they would not get involved in politics if politics would not get involved in the science.{{cite news |last=Walczak |first=Bill |date=July 2, 2020 |title=The virology podcast TWIV has become an essential source for COVID-19 news |url=https://www.dotnews.com/2020/virology-podcast-twiv-has-become-essential-source-covid-19-news |work=Dorchester Reporter |access-date=2020-07-28 |archive-date=2020-10-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019211502/https://www.dotnews.com/2020/virology-podcast-twiv-has-become-essential-source-covid-19-news |url-status=live }}
From TWiV 962 (11 December 2022), Angela Mingarelli, who had made her debut in TWiV 946, joined the podcast as a co-host. TWiV 962 also featured a guest appearance by Angela's sister, astrophysicist Chiara Mingarelli.{{Cite web |date=2022-12-11 |title=TWiV 962: Chiara Mingarelli takes the pulse of the universe |url=https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/twiv-962/ |access-date=2022-12-12 |language=en-US}}
In 2023, Jolene Ramsey was added as a host. She is a bacteriophage researcher.{{Cite web |date=2023-08-27 |title=TWiV 1039: Landmines for phages, a mouthful of redondoviruses |url=https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/twiv-1039/ |access-date=2023-09-20 |language=en-US}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/ This Week in Virology webpage]
- {{YouTube|playlist=PL55B28888146FAD78|title=This Week in Virology}}