Mimivirus / Giant Virus Update

Back in March I blogged about the Mimivirus, after someone had mentioned it in the comments of a post at The Loom. My post elicited a comment from Jean-Michel Claverie who is the Editor-in-Chief of GiantVirus.org and a coauthor of much of the recently published work I am about to mention. In his comment, he notes that there was some information soon to be ready for publication.

While reading The Loom tonight, I again found more info about the mimivirus, which I assume is at least some of the work JMC had promised. This time it was the focus of Carl Zimmer's post, which he titled the Kanisza Virus. In the post (please see post the for a better presentation) he points to a recent paper, Mimivirus Relatives in the Sargasso Sea by Elodie Ghedin and Jean-Michel Claverie. He also points to an article titled "The Mimivirus and the emerging Concept of the Giant Virus" in which the authors bring us up to date on the most recent information and ideas about Giant viruses. In fact, they propose to introduce a new word, "girus", to recognize the intermediate status of these giant DNA viruses.

As I noted before Giantvirus.org seems to the hub of information for these new findings.

Cellular Power Plants Also Fend Off Viruses

Here is a new finding that is interesting from an evolutionary perspective and that could also lead to new therapies for viral infections.

Via Eureka Alert

Cellular Power Plants Also Fend Off Viruses: Howard Hughes Medical Institute esearchers have discovered a surprise lurking inside mitochondria, the power plants that are present in every cell. It turns out that these powerhouses also contain a protein that triggers the immune system to attack viral invaders....Read more from Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

July Letters to Discover Magazine: Author Information

From Discover Magazine, July 2005 Issue
The letters published in July's issue were all either to praise or to criticize Alan Burdick's article in the May issue, "The Truth About Invasive Species". I have to assume that this focus was because most of the letters received by the magazine were about this controversial subject. Interestingly, two of the letters were attributed to multiple authors, and two individuals in each group have also coauthored books on invasive species.

Grosholz, Edwin D. – Dept. of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California at Davis
Heading: To Bury Burdick…
Subject: “The Truth About Invasive Species” – May 2005
Links to the Author: SeaWeb-Ocean Update October 2000, UC Davis Dept. of Environmental Science and Policy

Carlton, James T. - Willliams College-Mystic Seaport, Mystic, Connecticut
Heading: To Bury Burdick...
Subject: “The Truth About Invasive Species” – May 2005
Links to the Author: Williams Mystic, Testimony of Dr. James T. Carlton before the U. S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Environment, Technology, and Standards Thursday July 26, 2001, Environmental Impacts of Marine Exotics-Interview with James T. Carlton
Books by the author: Invasive Species : Vectors and Management Strategies

Ruiz, Gregory M. - Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater Maryland
Heading: To Bury Burdick...
Subject: “The Truth About Invasive Species” – May 2005
Links to the Author: Written Testimony of Dr. Gregory M. Ruiz To the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans Thursday, 14 November 2002, Curriculum Vitae-Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Books by the Author: Invasive Species : Vectors and Management Strategies

Simberloff, Daniel - Department of Ecology nad Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee
Heading: To Bury Burdick...
Subject: “The Truth About Invasive Species” – May 2005
Links to the Author: University of Tennessee Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Nova-Battling Introduced Wildlife, Interview
Books by the Author: Strangers in Paradise: Impact and Management of Nonindigenous Species in Florida

Schmitz, Don C. - Dept. of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Invasive Plant Management, Tallahasse, Florida
Heading: To Bury Burdick...
Subject: “The Truth About Invasive Species” – May 2005
Links to the author: Florida Bureau of Invasive Plant Management, Issues in Science and Technology Online, "Needed: A National Center for Biological Invasions" Summer 2001
Books by the Author: Strangers in Paradise: Impact and Management of Nonindigenous Species in Florida

Davis, Mark A. Department of Biology, Macalester College, Saint Paul, Minnesota
Heading: ...And To Praise Him
Subject: “The Truth About Invasive Species” – May 2005
Links to the Author: Professor Davis' Website, Macalester College Biology Department Faculty and Staff

Chew, Matt - Phoenix Arizona
Heading: And to Praise Him
Subject: “The Truth About Invasive Species” – May 2005
Links to the Author: Oasis Under Siege: A Journey Through the Dying River, High Country News: Freedom of Speech Shines in Arizona Cave

Letters to Discover: Author information archives

Lousy Friday Blogging: Pediculus humanus capitis

These lovely creatures (click the pic to enlarge) found their way into my clinic this week along with dozens (or hundreds?) of their little friends. This was the worst infestation I have ever seen, which apparently had not responded to intermittent applications of Nix, Rid and the use of a nit comb for about 2 months. The host was a sweet 16 year old girl with long dark hair down to her waist. From about 5 feet away I could see these critters climbing all over her shiny dark hair. The hair from the the back of her head around her neck had a frosted appearance from all the nits. Following the exam, I discreetly carried these specimens out and placed them in a container, then I cooled them by pouring the cold head of a small container of liquid nitrogen over them so they would not get away during the photo session.

Here is more info on head lice and their treatment from Wikipedia.

One interesting thing I found in the article on head lice was their use in Archeogenetics......"Because most "modern" human diseases have in fact recently jumped species from animals into humans through close agricultural contact, and also given fact that neolithic human populations were too scattered to support contagious "crowd" diseases, lice (along with such parasites as intestinal tapeworms) are considered to be one of the few ancestral disease infestations of humans and hominids. As such, analysis of mitochondrial lice DNA has been used to map early human and archaic human migrations and living conditions."
Here is a related link from the University of Utah: "Of Lice and Men"

Don't forget to check out the Friday Ark!!

Also see these lice at the Webiocosm Zoo.