David Bhella
@dbhella.bsky.social
Professor of Structural Virology and Associate Director at the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research (CVR). Director of the Scottish Centre for Macromolecular Imaging. CryoEM, viruses, music, field archery, scicom and pix of our toy poodle.
Thanks to @sjorsscheres.bsky.social and Kiarash Jamali for coming to hear me fan-boy about Relion and ModelAngelo in my talk and bringing more advice on how to do cool stuff even better….
Had a fantastic day visiting the Virology Division in the University of Cambridge Dept of Pathology. Thanks to Myra Hosmillo, Ian Goodfellow, Andrew Firth, Hazel Stewart and Valeria Lulla for great virus- and science-life chat.
December 11, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Thanks to @sjorsscheres.bsky.social and Kiarash Jamali for coming to hear me fan-boy about Relion and ModelAngelo in my talk and bringing more advice on how to do cool stuff even better….
Had a fantastic day visiting the Virology Division in the University of Cambridge Dept of Pathology. Thanks to Myra Hosmillo, Ian Goodfellow, Andrew Firth, Hazel Stewart and Valeria Lulla for great virus- and science-life chat.
December 11, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Had a fantastic day visiting the Virology Division in the University of Cambridge Dept of Pathology. Thanks to Myra Hosmillo, Ian Goodfellow, Andrew Firth, Hazel Stewart and Valeria Lulla for great virus- and science-life chat.
The UK cloud cover forecast for tomorrows geomagnetic storm. If there is one guarantee in life it’s 100% cloud cover when there is a forecast of northern lights. www.bbc.co.uk/weather/arti...
November 11, 2025 at 8:58 PM
The UK cloud cover forecast for tomorrows geomagnetic storm. If there is one guarantee in life it’s 100% cloud cover when there is a forecast of northern lights. www.bbc.co.uk/weather/arti...
Reposted by David Bhella
Huge congratulations to Emma Davis, the winner of 2025's Early Career Microbiologist of the Year prize! We agree with Emma that all of the finalists' talks were brilliant and a massive well done to everyone involved!
October 7, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Huge congratulations to Emma Davis, the winner of 2025's Early Career Microbiologist of the Year prize! We agree with Emma that all of the finalists' talks were brilliant and a massive well done to everyone involved!
Reposted by David Bhella
My nightmare: “Almost 100 people came down with norovirus aboard a Royal Caribbean ship amid a 13-day voyage, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported earlier this week… The first reports of illness were made on Sept. 28, with four crew members and 94 guests falling ill”
Norovirus Outbreak Sickens Nearly 100 on Royal Caribbean Cruise
www.nytimes.com
October 3, 2025 at 3:15 PM
My nightmare: “Almost 100 people came down with norovirus aboard a Royal Caribbean ship amid a 13-day voyage, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported earlier this week… The first reports of illness were made on Sept. 28, with four crew members and 94 guests falling ill”
This is the coolest resource - so much more than a repository of predicted viral protein structures. Check it out…
Viro3D paper is out! We predicted 85,000 protein structures from human & animal viruses. 1/5 🧵
📑 Paper doi.org/10.1038/s443...
🔭 Explore virosphere viro3d.cvr.gla.ac.uk
📑 Paper doi.org/10.1038/s443...
🔭 Explore virosphere viro3d.cvr.gla.ac.uk
Viro3D: a comprehensive database of virus protein structure predictions | Molecular Systems Biology
imageimageViro3D provides proteome-level, high confidence AI-protein structure predictions for
>4,400 viruses, allowing mapping of form and function across the human and animal
virosphere. Viro3D i...
doi.org
September 26, 2025 at 9:17 PM
This is the coolest resource - so much more than a repository of predicted viral protein structures. Check it out…
Reposted by David Bhella
Check out this new BBC documentary on Disease X and pandemic preparedness, broadcast tonight (22/09) and on BBC iPlayer.
It features @cvrinfo.bsky.social's work using #AI to investigate #virology and much, much more. 🧪🦠🤖
It was a real pleasure working with Chris VT and the team. Thank you!
It features @cvrinfo.bsky.social's work using #AI to investigate #virology and much, much more. 🧪🦠🤖
It was a real pleasure working with Chris VT and the team. Thank you!
September 22, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Check out this new BBC documentary on Disease X and pandemic preparedness, broadcast tonight (22/09) and on BBC iPlayer.
It features @cvrinfo.bsky.social's work using #AI to investigate #virology and much, much more. 🧪🦠🤖
It was a real pleasure working with Chris VT and the team. Thank you!
It features @cvrinfo.bsky.social's work using #AI to investigate #virology and much, much more. 🧪🦠🤖
It was a real pleasure working with Chris VT and the team. Thank you!
46 articles and book chapters for me. The thing is, if Meta had licensed my work they wouldn’t have paid me - they would have paid Springer, Wiley et al. I am not saying it is right that they stole the work, it is just another layer of exploitation of creators.
September 21, 2025 at 7:51 PM
46 articles and book chapters for me. The thing is, if Meta had licensed my work they wouldn’t have paid me - they would have paid Springer, Wiley et al. I am not saying it is right that they stole the work, it is just another layer of exploitation of creators.
I am delighted to share this preprint describing the structure and transcriptomics analysis of adenovirus D10 - a fantastic collaboration - and a lot of hard work by Kasim and Rosie.
Identification of a novel structural motif and overexpression of key transcripts elucidated in Adenovirus 10 https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.20.677498v1
September 21, 2025 at 3:23 AM
I am delighted to share this preprint describing the structure and transcriptomics analysis of adenovirus D10 - a fantastic collaboration - and a lot of hard work by Kasim and Rosie.
Second time in a week - so proud of Charlotte’s achievements. ECR oral presentation prize at the 9th international Calicivirus workshop. So accomplished and just starting year 3 of her PhD.
September 11, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Second time in a week - so proud of Charlotte’s achievements. ECR oral presentation prize at the 9th international Calicivirus workshop. So accomplished and just starting year 3 of her PhD.
Reposted by David Bhella
Our PhD studentship programme is officially open; pass it on
If you are looking for a fully-funded PhD in the mechanisms underlying human disease, here are the details...
Great science and a great environment!
www.path.ox.ac.uk/news-article...
If you are looking for a fully-funded PhD in the mechanisms underlying human disease, here are the details...
Great science and a great environment!
www.path.ox.ac.uk/news-article...
Applications now open for our PhD studentship programme - Dunn School
Applications are now open to apply for our four year, fully-funded PhD programme in Molecular Cell Biology in Health and Disease.
www.path.ox.ac.uk
September 8, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Our PhD studentship programme is officially open; pass it on
If you are looking for a fully-funded PhD in the mechanisms underlying human disease, here are the details...
Great science and a great environment!
www.path.ox.ac.uk/news-article...
If you are looking for a fully-funded PhD in the mechanisms underlying human disease, here are the details...
Great science and a great environment!
www.path.ox.ac.uk/news-article...
Well this is terrible… honestly the stuff I have to do for science - in Banff for the 9th international Calicivirus workshop.
September 7, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Well this is terrible… honestly the stuff I have to do for science - in Banff for the 9th international Calicivirus workshop.
Proud supervisor moment - congratulations Charlotte Lewis on winning the ECR best presentation prize at the Glasgow Virology Workshop. 👏👏👏👏👏👏
September 5, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Proud supervisor moment - congratulations Charlotte Lewis on winning the ECR best presentation prize at the Glasgow Virology Workshop. 👏👏👏👏👏👏
I agree Edinburgh is terrible - all the more annoying that it has pulled routes away from Glasgow, which is much nicer. I expect it is cheaper for the airlines.
I think Stansted is worse tho… truly awful.
I think Stansted is worse tho… truly awful.
September 1, 2025 at 4:32 AM
I agree Edinburgh is terrible - all the more annoying that it has pulled routes away from Glasgow, which is much nicer. I expect it is cheaper for the airlines.
I think Stansted is worse tho… truly awful.
I think Stansted is worse tho… truly awful.
I didn’t know the Ontario science centre had closed ☹️. So many happy childhood memories from summers spent in Toronto. OSC blazed a trail for science museums around the world and the building is epic. I hope it can be saved and put to a use that respects the legacy.
August 29, 2025 at 5:03 AM
I didn’t know the Ontario science centre had closed ☹️. So many happy childhood memories from summers spent in Toronto. OSC blazed a trail for science museums around the world and the building is epic. I hope it can be saved and put to a use that respects the legacy.
“beans on toast, ngl, kinda gross” you are objectively and categorically wrong on this. Beans on toast is the perfect meal - breakfast, dinner, tea. Doesn’t matter which.
August 25, 2025 at 7:26 PM
“beans on toast, ngl, kinda gross” you are objectively and categorically wrong on this. Beans on toast is the perfect meal - breakfast, dinner, tea. Doesn’t matter which.
First field archery competition in ~25 years. I was terrible 😀 - but it was lovely being out in the woods again.
June 29, 2025 at 6:05 PM
First field archery competition in ~25 years. I was terrible 😀 - but it was lovely being out in the woods again.
Reposted by David Bhella
Last week we welcomed colleagues from @helmholtzhzi.bsky.social Centre for Infection Research & other project partners for our CVR-HZI Collaborative Development Fund Symposium.
We heard about exciting research projects and discussed new opportunities to further our collaborations.
cvr-hzi.co.uk
We heard about exciting research projects and discussed new opportunities to further our collaborations.
cvr-hzi.co.uk
June 24, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Last week we welcomed colleagues from @helmholtzhzi.bsky.social Centre for Infection Research & other project partners for our CVR-HZI Collaborative Development Fund Symposium.
We heard about exciting research projects and discussed new opportunities to further our collaborations.
cvr-hzi.co.uk
We heard about exciting research projects and discussed new opportunities to further our collaborations.
cvr-hzi.co.uk
Epseptimavirus phagemcphageface made my day...
doi.org/10.1099/jgv....
doi.org/10.1099/jgv....
Binomial names for virus species: the rediscovery of an old idea
The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses now mandates that all virus species names be presented in a binomial format. This requirement replaces the various naming formats that have been used...
doi.org
June 13, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Epseptimavirus phagemcphageface made my day...
doi.org/10.1099/jgv....
doi.org/10.1099/jgv....
Thinking about it - it might not even have been under vacuum - we were testing culture from frozen grids to support use in a fib… I need to check. Anyhow the RSV didn’t make it…
June 9, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Thinking about it - it might not even have been under vacuum - we were testing culture from frozen grids to support use in a fib… I need to check. Anyhow the RSV didn’t make it…
I guess it depends on the pathogen in question - we found RSV didn’t survive warming to room temperature under vacuum in a side entry stage. A non enveloped virus might though.
June 9, 2025 at 7:32 PM
I guess it depends on the pathogen in question - we found RSV didn’t survive warming to room temperature under vacuum in a side entry stage. A non enveloped virus might though.
Reposted by David Bhella
Please join us if you can for this year's Influenza Update Meeting, and please spread the news! It will be another fun opportunity to meet other influenza researchers, make connections and discuss our ongoing research.
SAVE THE DATE!
The 2025 Influenza Update Meeting will be held @uni-of-warwick.bsky.social on the 15th and 16th December - @nicolerobb.bsky.social is leading the organisation for this year's event.
We hope you'll join us there - please repost!
www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/...
The 2025 Influenza Update Meeting will be held @uni-of-warwick.bsky.social on the 15th and 16th December - @nicolerobb.bsky.social is leading the organisation for this year's event.
We hope you'll join us there - please repost!
www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/...
June 4, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Please join us if you can for this year's Influenza Update Meeting, and please spread the news! It will be another fun opportunity to meet other influenza researchers, make connections and discuss our ongoing research.
Isn’t it strange how the most ardent capitalists are suddenly very worried about the influence of the profit motive in pharma - while simultaneously screaming about state regulation of eg finance sector. It must be strange being in their heads.
May 28, 2025 at 10:57 AM
Isn’t it strange how the most ardent capitalists are suddenly very worried about the influence of the profit motive in pharma - while simultaneously screaming about state regulation of eg finance sector. It must be strange being in their heads.
At the international virus assembly workshop in Alghero, Sardinia. This afternoon we took some time out to tour the old town. A beautiful walk with friends.
May 27, 2025 at 4:49 PM
At the international virus assembly workshop in Alghero, Sardinia. This afternoon we took some time out to tour the old town. A beautiful walk with friends.