An illustration of an apical region of an animal cell in cross section, shown crowded with individual molecules. The plasma membrane is densely occupied by influenza virus glycoproteins, and from the surface bud influenza virions with different morphologies (L-R): spherical, bacilliform, filamentous with a genome, filamentous and empty, filamentous with a helical inner layer, and filamentous with a cofilactin cytoskeleton.

🚨New pre-print!🚨
Because influenza virions are highly variable in form no single method can show their molecular architecture in detail. Here, we integrate multiple structural and compositional approaches to identify new features of these beautiful virus particles
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

The people have chosen!

Elated to be the People’s Choice at the UVM 3MT competition. Honored to represent @brucelab.bsky.social and CMB! Congratulations to all my competitors on a job well done!

So proud to represent @brucelab.bsky.social for the 3MT competition! I love what I research and it wouldn't be possible without the mentorship of Dr. Bruce, and the support of the lab! :)

Three Minutes. Two Goals. One Cellular Grand Theft Auto. uvmlarnermedblog.com/2026/04/09/t...

Polymerase trapping as the mechanism of H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus genesis Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) derive from H5 and H7 low pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAIVs). Although insertion of a furin-cleavable multibasic cleavage site (MBCS) in the...

Transient RNA structures play a key role in the emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses! Great to see this collaboration with Mathis Funk, Mathilde Richard, Stephen Cusack, and others in @science.org www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

A high-contrast fluorescence microscopy image of Vero E6 cells. The cytoskeleton (actin filaments) is stained in bright gold, appearing as a network that stretches across the cells. The nuclei are stained in cyan blue, looking like oval sapphires embedded within the gold structure. The cells appear to be gripping the surface, displaying high tension.

The Gold Standard.

​These are Vero E6 cells (African Green Monkey kidney), the workhorses of virology.

They lack interferon, making them the perfect host for viral research.

​Today, they are just pristine jewels.

​💛 Gold: Actin
🩵 Sapphire: Nuclei

#SciArt #Virology #FluorescenceFriday

RFK Jr. says it may be "better" if fewer children receive the flu vaccine Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed there is "no scientific evidence" the flu vaccine prevents hospitalizations or death in children, despite previous CDC guidance.

We are in the worst flu season in over a decade. Children have died. Hospitals are filled with people sick from flu.
13 million fewer Americans have taken the flu shot this season compared to last year.
www.cbsnews.com/news/rfk-jr-...

Three blue boxes containing white snowflake-like silhouettes of viruses

I wrote a festive little piece for @uk.theconversation.com about the invisible but beautiful world of viruses, our fight against viral diseases, and how you can explore all of this, and more, by making paper snowflakes
❄️🦠🤓❄️ #scicomm #sciart
theconversation.com/the-twelve-v...

NIH APPLICANTS:

Your application will be WITHDRAWN BEFORE REVIEW if you have an international collaboration and do not include a Foreign Justification.

Normally this could be provided after review as JIT but NOT ANYMORE.

You have been warned.

Influenza filaments: a graveyard of postdocs no longer? | The EMBO Journal EMBO Press is an editorially independent publishing platform for the development of EMBO scientific publications.

Really enjoyed writing about one of my favorite topics (influenza filaments). There is so much exciting new filament research now, it is clearly no longer 'the graveyard of postdocs' Bob Lamb called the topic during my PhD. www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....

The colors on these Aspergillus were just so beautiful. The green one is Aspergillus flavus, and the tan one is Aspergillus terreus.

The exudate on the A. terreus literally made it ✨️sparkle✨️.

Fungus is so amazing ❤️

#IDsky #MicroSky #ClinMicro

Acyl-coA binding protein AcbdA regulates peroxisome hitchhiking on early endosomes Motor-driven transport on microtubules is critical for distributing organelles throughout the cell. Most commonly, organelle movement is mediated by cargo adaptors, proteins on the surface of an organ...

Preprint from our lab is out! We identified a peroxisome-localized acyl-coA binding protein AcbdA - that regulates peroxisome movement. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1.... Congratulations to members of my lab and the Christensen lab
@christensenlab.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

RNA xkcd.com/3056

Great to see lots of folks out for Stand Up For Science!!!