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Episode 8: The Virus-Eye View

Adrian Florez
/
KNKX

Today's episode: The Virus-Eye View. 

We know, more or less, what the new coronavirus looks like … but what do we look like to it? 

In today’s episode, we imagine a little movie filmed from the point of view of the virus itself. We follow it as it enters the body, and get the blow-by-blow as it goes about its dastardly business of locking on to a cell, invading it, taking over its machinery and turning it into a virus factory. 

And we hear about an especially diabolical trick the virus pulls on its way out of a cell, which still gives me the creeps. 

Finally, we consider how insights into how this virus behaves on a molecular level could help us outsmart and, eventually, defeat it.

We get help on this little microbiology journey fromHarmit Malik and Jesse Bloom of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Basic Sciences Division; Lexi Walls, senior scientist in the David Veesler labat the University of Washington; and Wes Van Voorhis, professor of medicine at UW. 

Please consider giving Transmission a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. 

Listen on AppleSpotifyGoogleStitcherand NPR One.

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Gabriel Spitzer is a former KNKX reporter, producer and host who covered science and health and worked on the show Sound Effect.