JUST IN:
H5N1 Infects Mammary Glands, Unlike H1N1
A new study reveals that H5N1 replicates in mammary tissue, whereas H1N1 does not. This discovery raises significant concerns about potential transmission via lactation and the virus's expanding tissue tropism.
H5N1 Infects Mammary Glands, Unlike H1N1
A new study reveals that H5N1 replicates in mammary tissue, whereas H1N1 does not. This discovery raises significant concerns about potential transmission via lactation and the virus's expanding tissue tropism.
February 1, 2025 at 3:04 PM
JUST IN:
H5N1 Infects Mammary Glands, Unlike H1N1
A new study reveals that H5N1 replicates in mammary tissue, whereas H1N1 does not. This discovery raises significant concerns about potential transmission via lactation and the virus's expanding tissue tropism.
H5N1 Infects Mammary Glands, Unlike H1N1
A new study reveals that H5N1 replicates in mammary tissue, whereas H1N1 does not. This discovery raises significant concerns about potential transmission via lactation and the virus's expanding tissue tropism.
Love to see a nice enterovirus translation/cellular tropism study. Coxsackieviruses never go out of style.
📢Enteroviruses can have two upstream ORFs, and both can be translated! Led by Rhian O’Connor, this work shows the remarkable flexibility of enterovirus genomes and the advantage of double-uAUG virus in terminally differentiated cells – intestinal organoids and neurons
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Flexibility and modulation of translation initiation in enterovirus genomes
Enteroviruses comprise a large group of mammalian pathogens that often utilize two open reading frames (ORFs) to encode their proteins: the upstream protein (UP) and the main polyprotein. In some enteroviruses, in addition to the canonical upstream AUG (uAUG), there is another AUG that may represent an alternative upstream initiation site. An analysis of enterovirus sequences containing additional upstream AUGs identified several clusters, including strains of pathogenic Enterovirus alphacoxsackie and E. coxsackiepol. Using ribosome profiling on coxsackievirus CVA-13 (E. coxsackiepol), we demonstrate that both upstream AUG codons can be used for translation initiation in infected cells. Moreover, we confirm translation from both upstream AUGs using a reporter system. Mutating the additional upstream AUG in the context of CVA-13 did not result in phenotypic changes in immortalized cell lines. However, the wild-type virus outcompeted this mutant in human intestinal organoids and differentiated neuronal systems, representing an advantage in physiologically relevant infection sites. Mutation of the stop codon of the shorter upstream ORF led to dysregulated translation of the other ORFs in the reporter system, suggesting a potential role for the additional uORF in modulating the expression level of the other ORFs. These findings demonstrate the remarkable plasticity of enterovirus IRES-mediated initiation and the competitive advantage of double-upstream-AUG-containing viruses in terminally differentiated intestinal organoids and neuronal systems. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.
www.biorxiv.org
March 25, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Love to see a nice enterovirus translation/cellular tropism study. Coxsackieviruses never go out of style.
Transmission biology depends on tissue tropism, shedding dynamics, infectious dose, host adaptation, and epidemiology, not just whether particles can be inhaled.
May 14, 2026 at 9:21 PM
Transmission biology depends on tissue tropism, shedding dynamics, infectious dose, host adaptation, and epidemiology, not just whether particles can be inhaled.
My favs from the Internet Archive (21): Tropism: Photographs by Ralph Gibson (Steidl, 1987) | Published to accompany the first retrospective of his work at the International Center of Photography.
Blogpost: bilderwald.blog/2026/02/13/m...
#photobooks #bw #photography #booksky #artsky #ralphgibson
Blogpost: bilderwald.blog/2026/02/13/m...
#photobooks #bw #photography #booksky #artsky #ralphgibson
February 13, 2026 at 2:45 PM
My favs from the Internet Archive (21): Tropism: Photographs by Ralph Gibson (Steidl, 1987) | Published to accompany the first retrospective of his work at the International Center of Photography.
Blogpost: bilderwald.blog/2026/02/13/m...
#photobooks #bw #photography #booksky #artsky #ralphgibson
Blogpost: bilderwald.blog/2026/02/13/m...
#photobooks #bw #photography #booksky #artsky #ralphgibson
This. If Gavin Newson, human tropism toward power vacuums, didn’t see a path to the nomination, it didn’t exist.
February 16, 2024 at 11:22 PM
This. If Gavin Newson, human tropism toward power vacuums, didn’t see a path to the nomination, it didn’t exist.
Jungle Ziggurat, TTRPG map built in Dungeon Alchemist available at Patreon.com/Tropism
September 24, 2026 at 6:13 AM
Jungle Ziggurat, TTRPG map built in Dungeon Alchemist available at Patreon.com/Tropism
Not all organs respond equally to #COVID infection. DISCO-seq, a new technique led by my talented friend @harsharanbhatia.bsky.social, combines 3D imaging and single-cell analysis to map Spike Protein tropism and found mostly in the liver, lungs, intestine & kidneys www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
May 29, 2026 at 2:08 PM
Not all organs respond equally to #COVID infection. DISCO-seq, a new technique led by my talented friend @harsharanbhatia.bsky.social, combines 3D imaging and single-cell analysis to map Spike Protein tropism and found mostly in the liver, lungs, intestine & kidneys www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
A new preprint is out at biorxiv!
Here we performed round-robin pseudovirus experiments using 53 sarbecoviruses🦠 and ACE2s from 17 mammals to elucidate the ACE2 tropism of sarbecoviruses in natural hosts🦇, potential intermediate hosts🦫 and humans👤
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Here we performed round-robin pseudovirus experiments using 53 sarbecoviruses🦠 and ACE2s from 17 mammals to elucidate the ACE2 tropism of sarbecoviruses in natural hosts🦇, potential intermediate hosts🦫 and humans👤
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Molecular basis of sarbecovirus evolution and receptor tropism in natural hosts, potential intermediate hosts, and humans
The spike protein of many sarbecoviruses binds to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor and facilitates viral entry. The diversification of the sarbecovirus spike gene and the mammalian ACE2 gene suggests that sarbecoviruses and their hosts have co-evolved, and the genetic diversity in these genes affects the host tropism of sarbecoviruses. Better comprehending the evolutionary potential of sarbecoviruses can lead to preparedness for the next pandemic. However, the host tropism of sarbecoviruses is not fully understood. Here, we performed round-robin pseudovirus infection assays using 53 sarbecoviruses and ACE2s from 17 mammals to elucidate the ACE2 tropism of sarbecoviruses in natural hosts, potential intermediate hosts and humans. We determined the factors responsible for the ACE2 tropism of sarbecoviruses through structural, phylogenetic analyses, and infection experiments, revealing which substitutions can expand the host range of sarbecoviruses. These results highlight the mechanisms modulating host tropism throughout sarbecovirus evolution. ### Competing Interest Statement Spyros Lytras has received consulting fees from EcoHealth Alliance. Jumpei Ito has consulting fees from Moderna Japan Co., Ltd. Kei Sato has consulting fees from Moderna Japan Co., Ltd. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., and honoraria for lectures from Moderna Japan Co., Ltd. and Shionogi & Co., Ltd. The other authors declare no competing interests. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed.
www.biorxiv.org
March 25, 2025 at 8:09 AM
A new preprint is out at biorxiv!
Here we performed round-robin pseudovirus experiments using 53 sarbecoviruses🦠 and ACE2s from 17 mammals to elucidate the ACE2 tropism of sarbecoviruses in natural hosts🦇, potential intermediate hosts🦫 and humans👤
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Here we performed round-robin pseudovirus experiments using 53 sarbecoviruses🦠 and ACE2s from 17 mammals to elucidate the ACE2 tropism of sarbecoviruses in natural hosts🦇, potential intermediate hosts🦫 and humans👤
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Excited to advertise a fully funded PhD with @socialinfluenza.bsky.social investigating how influenza virus evolution differs between different avian hosts (and how this impacts pandemic potential). Joint between @pirbrightinst.bsky.social + @cvrinfo.bsky.social
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
FULLY FUNDED PhD - Visualising avian influenza virus tropism and co-infection in avian hosts at University of Glasgow on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - FULLY FUNDED PhD - Visualising avian influenza virus tropism and co-infection in avian hosts at University of Glasgow, listed on FindAPhD.com
www.findaphd.com
April 14, 2026 at 1:20 PM
Excited to advertise a fully funded PhD with @socialinfluenza.bsky.social investigating how influenza virus evolution differs between different avian hosts (and how this impacts pandemic potential). Joint between @pirbrightinst.bsky.social + @cvrinfo.bsky.social
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Study: Beyond macrophages: FIPV tropism includes T and B lymphocytes.
Published: 6 January 2026
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Published: 6 January 2026
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Beyond macrophages: FIPV tropism includes T and B lymphocytes
If untreated, feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a fatal disease that is caused by feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV), a virulent biotype …
www.sciencedirect.com
January 13, 2026 at 10:54 PM
Study: Beyond macrophages: FIPV tropism includes T and B lymphocytes.
Published: 6 January 2026
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Published: 6 January 2026
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
🎉 New in @plosbiology.org: Temperate phages of Klebsiella pneumoniae show capsule-driven host tropism — but how? The working assumption was depolymerases: enzymes that chew through the bacterial sugar capsule. Turns out that's not the whole story. 🧵
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
April 29, 2026 at 7:59 AM
🎉 New in @plosbiology.org: Temperate phages of Klebsiella pneumoniae show capsule-driven host tropism — but how? The working assumption was depolymerases: enzymes that chew through the bacterial sugar capsule. Turns out that's not the whole story. 🧵
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Ein bisher übersehener Typ von Immunzellen ermöglicht es #SARSCoV2, sich zu vermehren.
Makrophagen tief in der Lunge sind anfällig für #SARSCoV2-Infektion. Hinzu kommt, dass das #Virus über einen unerwarteten Weg in diese Zellen gelangt. Die medizinischen Folgen könnten erheblich sein.
#COVID19
Makrophagen tief in der Lunge sind anfällig für #SARSCoV2-Infektion. Hinzu kommt, dass das #Virus über einen unerwarteten Weg in diese Zellen gelangt. Die medizinischen Folgen könnten erheblich sein.
#COVID19
April 12, 2024 at 9:26 AM
Ein bisher übersehener Typ von Immunzellen ermöglicht es #SARSCoV2, sich zu vermehren.
Makrophagen tief in der Lunge sind anfällig für #SARSCoV2-Infektion. Hinzu kommt, dass das #Virus über einen unerwarteten Weg in diese Zellen gelangt. Die medizinischen Folgen könnten erheblich sein.
#COVID19
Makrophagen tief in der Lunge sind anfällig für #SARSCoV2-Infektion. Hinzu kommt, dass das #Virus über einen unerwarteten Weg in diese Zellen gelangt. Die medizinischen Folgen könnten erheblich sein.
#COVID19
"There is something wrong with Gabbard....If she were merely a member of Congress, her tropism toward murderous dictators would be disturbing, but as head of America's intelligence community, it's utterly insane."
www.thebulwark.com/p/the-americ...
www.thebulwark.com/p/the-americ...
The America Firster Who Loves America’s Enemies
Tulsi Gabbard instinctively trusts the worst people on the planet and distrusts her own country.
www.thebulwark.com
December 12, 2024 at 5:37 PM
"There is something wrong with Gabbard....If she were merely a member of Congress, her tropism toward murderous dictators would be disturbing, but as head of America's intelligence community, it's utterly insane."
www.thebulwark.com/p/the-americ...
www.thebulwark.com/p/the-americ...
The core flaw is the magical Black lady tropism and accompanying violence, but that's a source text failing as much as anything
It's clumsy in its narration but it has so many surreal moments that land in deeply unsettling ways
It's clumsy in its narration but it has so many surreal moments that land in deeply unsettling ways
June 25, 2025 at 1:21 AM
The core flaw is the magical Black lady tropism and accompanying violence, but that's a source text failing as much as anything
It's clumsy in its narration but it has so many surreal moments that land in deeply unsettling ways
It's clumsy in its narration but it has so many surreal moments that land in deeply unsettling ways
Our work co-led by @scripps.edu students Dominic & Jonathan shows that microbial tropism determines how metabolites are presented to #MAIT cells!
MAIT cell responses to intracellular and extracellular pathogens are mediated by distinct antigen presenting cells https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.03.652000v1
May 9, 2025 at 4:59 AM
Our work co-led by @scripps.edu students Dominic & Jonathan shows that microbial tropism determines how metabolites are presented to #MAIT cells!
Peptidoglycan architecture dictates protein interactions, tissue tropism, and arthritis in the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi
Exciting new research from @jutraslab.bsky.social
journals.plos.org/plospathogen...
#MicroSky
Exciting new research from @jutraslab.bsky.social
journals.plos.org/plospathogen...
#MicroSky
Peptidoglycan architecture dictates protein interactions, tissue tropism, and arthritis in the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi
Author summary Many of the pathogenic mechanisms by which Borrelia burgdorferi causes disease involve cell envelope interactions with host components. To further elucidate the role of peptidoglycan in...
journals.plos.org
January 29, 2026 at 8:25 PM
Peptidoglycan architecture dictates protein interactions, tissue tropism, and arthritis in the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi
Exciting new research from @jutraslab.bsky.social
journals.plos.org/plospathogen...
#MicroSky
Exciting new research from @jutraslab.bsky.social
journals.plos.org/plospathogen...
#MicroSky
TTRPG Maps built in Dungeon Alchemist at:
Patreon.com/Tropism
Patreon.com/Tropism
November 12, 2025 at 7:14 AM
TTRPG Maps built in Dungeon Alchemist at:
Patreon.com/Tropism
Patreon.com/Tropism
Stromal lipid species dictate melanoma metastasis and tropism: Cancer Cell www.cell.com/cancer-cell/...
great work from Amaya Viros @cruk-mi.bsky.social
great work from Amaya Viros @cruk-mi.bsky.social
Stromal lipid species dictate melanoma metastasis and tropism
Gurung et al. show that young subcutaneous adipocytes provide lipids and phosphatidylcholine
to melanoma cells, which activates PI3K-AKT, OXPHOS, and oxidative stress. High OXPHOS
reduces metastatic b...
www.cell.com
May 3, 2025 at 9:38 AM
Stromal lipid species dictate melanoma metastasis and tropism: Cancer Cell www.cell.com/cancer-cell/...
great work from Amaya Viros @cruk-mi.bsky.social
great work from Amaya Viros @cruk-mi.bsky.social
This curlicued evasion and euphemism is a tropism of innately obsequious people.
April 3, 2025 at 12:51 PM
This curlicued evasion and euphemism is a tropism of innately obsequious people.
Study: SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2.86 and JN.1 expand tropism in human proximal intestinal epithelium.
Published: 05 June 2026
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Published: 05 June 2026
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2.86 and JN.1 expand tropism in human proximal intestinal epithelium - Nature Communications
EG.5.1 uses dual entry pathways and replicates better in alveolar cells. BA.2.86 and JN.1 depend on TMPRSS2 for airway entry but replicate more efficiently in intestinal enteroids, with JN.1 showing i...
www.nature.com
June 9, 2026 at 1:23 AM
Study: SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2.86 and JN.1 expand tropism in human proximal intestinal epithelium.
Published: 05 June 2026
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Published: 05 June 2026
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Kingston Docks. TTRPG map built in Dungeon Alchemist. Available at Patreon.com/Tropism
September 18, 2026 at 10:37 PM
Kingston Docks. TTRPG map built in Dungeon Alchemist. Available at Patreon.com/Tropism
Klemperer's book THE LANGUAGE OF THE THIRD REICH is so accessible because it's a collection of essays that need not be read in order. E.g., you can turn directly to Chap. 30, "The Curse of the Superlative" for a concise discussion of a linguistic tropism that infects all of Trump's rhetoric.
May 5, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Klemperer's book THE LANGUAGE OF THE THIRD REICH is so accessible because it's a collection of essays that need not be read in order. E.g., you can turn directly to Chap. 30, "The Curse of the Superlative" for a concise discussion of a linguistic tropism that infects all of Trump's rhetoric.
It is important that this H5N1 virus is not labeled as ‘mild’ because we know that one or two viral mutations is enough to change tropism and lead to serious disease, as was the case in British Columbia and now in Louisiana.
BREAKING: A Louisiana patient who had been hospitalized with severe bird flu has died, the first such fatality in the United States, state health officials report.
www.nytimes.com/2025/01/06/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/01/06/h...
First Bird Flu Death in U.S. Reported in Louisiana (Gift Article)
The deceased was over 65 and had other medical conditions, state officials said.
www.nytimes.com
January 6, 2025 at 10:21 PM
It is important that this H5N1 virus is not labeled as ‘mild’ because we know that one or two viral mutations is enough to change tropism and lead to serious disease, as was the case in British Columbia and now in Louisiana.