Virology 2013 Lecture #3 - Genomes and genetics

A discussion of the seven different types of viral genome, and the pathway to mRNA, followed by an overview of modern viral genetic analysis.

[maryjanewhite]

I'm really enjoying these lectures.  As a student in the 1960-1970's I missed science and biology, so now you make it easy and enchanting to learn what has been discovered in the meantime (while I was trying cases and translating poetry).  Thank you!

[gj]

I have never been so happy for the pause button as i was in this lesson. I find a similarily between the way viruses are able to compress information in their codings, and your abillity to compress so much information into a 1h and 4mins lecture. I bow in the dust in huge respect and grattitude for this lesson :-)

One question: Do you think there is a limit to what viral treatment can and will be used for, as we learn more and more how to manipulate viruses?

[MicrobeTV]

Hershey-Chase showed that viral DNA is the genetic information, which is why I say transfection is a validation of their results. But put in the broader sense, that DNA is genetic information, it could also be viewed as validating Avery et al.

[coolworx]

Just as an aside. one of Irwin Chargoff's most prescient quotes:

"The technology of genetic engineering poses a greater threat to the world than the advent of nuclear technology. An irreversible attack on the biosphere is something so unheard of, so unthinkable to previous generations, that I only wish that mine had not been guilty of it".

[MicrobeTV]

Do you mean the third human retrovirus? There is HIV-1, HIV-2, and HTLV-1, 2, and 3.

[skaai]

Vincent, first of all, thanks so much for the lectures, I'm learning so much more than I thought, you're awesome! I did have a question, though: around 55:00, you explain this DNA transfection is a validation of Hershey-Chase, but I was wondering, isn't this more like the Avery & McCloud experiment?