I Am Dr.Sam
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iamdrsam.bsky.social
I Am Dr.Sam
@iamdrsam.bsky.social
Post-doc interested in host-viral interactions of pigs 🐖 Love shiny new problems, the more complex, the better🌟
Not sure what your next science career step will be? or want to learn more about career possibilities?

Join us for the annual @theviin.bsky.social Careers Evening!

📆 Wednesday July 30th
🕐5.30 -8.30pm
📍WEHI

Register via TryBooking by 11.59pm Sunday 20th of July
www.trybooking.com/DDBSU
July 14, 2025 at 12:36 AM
Get your registrations in by 5pm today!
Only 3 DAYS LEFT to register!
📝VIIN Webinar: Conference Abstract Writing and Effective Scientific Communication
📅Wed 16 July 10am-12pm
⌛Registrations must close 5pm on Mon 14 July, don't miss out! forms.gle/5SHKrKqu5SMy...
See flyer for details. We look forward to seeing you there!
#VIINworkshop
July 14, 2025 at 12:29 AM
Do you need help writing a scientific abstract? or want some tips on how to effectivy communicate you amazing science?

Come along to our ebinar to learn more! viin.org.au/event/confer...

When ⏰️ Wednesday 16th July, 10am -12pm

Register by 5pm Monday 14th of July 👇

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
July 7, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Reposted by I Am Dr.Sam
We are excited to share our paper describing neutralising monoclonal antibodies against human coronavirus NL63, an alphacoronavirus that uses the same ACE2 receptor as SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, but generally only causes mild respiratory illness. www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Potent neutralising monoclonal antibodies targeting the spike of NL63 coronavirus - npj Viruses
npj Viruses - Potent neutralising monoclonal antibodies targeting the spike of NL63 coronavirus
www.nature.com
May 1, 2025 at 4:06 AM
Do you want to recap the highlights of the last @ausvirologysoc.bsky.social meeting? Have a read of the AVS12 Meeting Report 👇
April 30, 2025 at 1:10 AM
Did you know the more SARS-COV-2 vaccines you get, the more IgG4 you will have? But what does this mean? Read all about it in @ruthamypurcell.bsky.social PhD paper! @amywchung.bsky.social @kev-in-science.bsky.social @viralvaxlab.bsky.social
Fantastic to have our study out describing the nuances of increased SARS-CoV-2 IgG4 following repeated mRNA vaccination 💉💉💉 @amywchung.bsky.social @kev-in-science.bsky.social @viralvaxlab.bsky.social
And great discussion started below!
#immunosky #IDsky #medsky 🧪

I know everyone missed thinking about IgG4, but we have a new study that finds some very interesting properties of anti-spike IgG4 elicited by mRNA vaccines

tl;dr- IgG4 seems to buffer inflammation but enhances the function of other antibodies when titers are lower

🧵
March 11, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Reposted by I Am Dr.Sam
First case of Japanese encephalitis reported in NSW for this season; take steps to avoid mosquito bites if you live in or are visiting western NSW https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/news/Pages/20250215_00.aspx
February 14, 2025 at 11:31 PM
Reposted by I Am Dr.Sam
🧪 #ASV American Society of Virology strong statement on the importance and value of diversity and inclusion in science because "this results in exceptional science, makes us stronger as a community, makes our science better, and aligns with the values of ASV" ❤️ASV!
February 14, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Reposted by I Am Dr.Sam
As Richard Webby told me two weeks ago: "I have seen what this virus does... I would absolutely not want to drink a glass of raw milk in California right now."
#H5N1 🧪
Marin County Public Health has released a bit more info on their suspected #H5N1 #birdflu case. A child who drank raw milk went to an ER vomiting & with a fever. Tested positive for flu A. That could be seasonal flu or H5. Not sure there will be a clear answer here. www.marinhhs.org/h5n1-bird-flu
December 11, 2024 at 10:10 AM
Are giant viruses one "acident" away from becoming a single cell organism? Maybe!? This is a question that will be occupying space in my brain for the foreseeable future 🤣
www.frontiersin.org/journals/mic...
Frontiers | Two decades ago, giant viruses were discovered: the fall of an old paradigm
Arguably, one of the most exciting moments in science, and definitely in molecular biology, is when a well-established paradigm is overturned (we use the con...
www.frontiersin.org
December 11, 2024 at 9:01 PM
Reposted by I Am Dr.Sam
👋 Hello, Bluesky! We look forward to sharing LIMS research, achievements and events with everyone here. Watch this space!

#science #LIMSLTU #latrobe
December 6, 2024 at 3:19 AM
Breaking news 🗞 A photo of me in my natural habitat has been captured today 📸 🤣

Thanks to the organisers of #AVS12 for the chance to present our work & the audience for sticking around for the last session of the conference 🙏
Next up is Samantha Davis @iamdrsam.bsky.social (ACDP, CSIRO) who is discussing New Insights Into Immune Dysregulation at the cellular and transcriptional level Following Infection of Domestic Pigs With Virulent African Swine Fever Virus. ASFV is fatal in pigs in almost 100% of cases #AVS12
December 5, 2024 at 7:00 AM
Today is the day! I will be speaking in the last session of the last day at #AVS12 sharing a snippet of a very cool story involving pigs & a nasty virus called African swine fever virus 🐷 Hope I will see you there (promise I will be more engaging than Ross) 😊 @ausvirologysoc.bsky.social
a man in a suit and tie is holding a piece of paper and saying " there are three primary theories "
ALT: a man in a suit and tie is holding a piece of paper and saying " there are three primary theories "
media.tenor.com
December 4, 2024 at 11:47 PM
How do we help support & increase Indigenous researchers in virology? Well, it starts with education (get kids interested in cool science!), is supported by policy & strengthend through respect & science communication 🗣 #AVS12 #STEM #firstscientists @ausvirologysoc.bsky.social
December 4, 2024 at 11:33 PM
Reposted by I Am Dr.Sam
Fascinating talk from @marypetrone.bsky.social examining virosphere in aquatic animals like corals, sea sponges, and tunicates, the latter which have flu like viruses! @ausvirologysoc.bsky.social #AVS12 #viralsky #socool #scienceyeah
December 4, 2024 at 9:52 PM
Reposted by I Am Dr.Sam
Next up is Marios Koutsakos @marioskoutsakos.bsky.social who is presenting Antigenic evolution of the influenza B virus HA over 80 years of circulation in humans. Marios has apologised for only including one phylogenetic tree in his talk in this evolutionary virology session. #AVS12
December 4, 2024 at 10:11 PM
Reposted by I Am Dr.Sam
Amazing work from @nataleenewton.bsky.social showing the utility of the Binjari platform for TBF structures!
Bringing the Structural Virology section home strong is Natalee Newton @nataleenewton.bsky.social who is sharing her Chimeric viral platform that enables high-resolution cryoEM analysis and antigenic characterization of diverse pathogenic tick-borne #flaviviruses. #AVS12 almost every TBF visualised!
December 4, 2024 at 3:55 AM
Reposted by I Am Dr.Sam
I've made a starter pack for Aussie virologists joining Bluesky at #AVS12. Let me know if you would like to be added- please share 🤗

@ausvirologysoc.bsky.social

go.bsky.app/FgBEzfc
December 4, 2024 at 3:42 AM
Amazing work @royalfizzbin.bsky.social 👏 the self proclaimed dirt queen 👸 Such a feat. getting that much RNA from soil! #AVS12
A fantastic talk on RNA virus diversity in Australian soil from our dirt queen and master of giant trees @royalfizzbin.bsky.social #AVS
December 4, 2024 at 12:59 AM
Great to see some multivalent DNA vaccine development against such a nasty virus 💉 Can't wait to see where this goes in the future 🚀 #AVS12
Despite the devastating #Zika virus epidemic (2015-2016), no ZIKV vaccine is available. Finalising our mRNA/Vaccine session is Branka Grubor-Bauk (University of Adelaide) who is presenting the development of a Multivalent T cell vaccine against Zika virus. #AVS12
December 3, 2024 at 11:10 PM
Reposted by I Am Dr.Sam
To bring our science bites home with the only organism that we can eat from this session from Jacinta Agius (Helbig lab, La Trobe) talking about Protecting Australia's abalone: A herpesvirus (HaHV-1) defence strategy (#113)
December 3, 2024 at 3:56 AM
Did you know there are viruses big enough to have their own viruses? Chantel Abergel went back to the land of dinosaurs in the permafrost to discover many weird and wonderful giant viruses 🤯 #AVS12 #virology @ausvirologysoc.bsky.social
December 3, 2024 at 7:01 AM
So cool! It's amazing how chimeric viruses can be used a vaccines 💉 #AVS12
What an interesting talk from Jody Hobson-Peters, from UQ. Using the insect-restricted flavivirus, Binjari virus, as a scaffold for effective animal vaccines against JEV in pigs, and WNV in crocodiles, so cool. @ausvirologysoc.bsky.social #AVS12 #viralsky #scienceyeah
December 3, 2024 at 4:54 AM
Brilliant talk! I love hearing about how traditional knowledge/ medicine and modern medicine can be used together to enhance the health of communities in the Pacific 🤗 #AVS12 @ausvirologysoc.bsky.social
Kicking off our Antiviral session we are lucky to have Natalie Netzler from the University of Auckland on Natalie is a New Zealand born Samoan and molecular virologist, who is Harnessing the antiviral activities of Pacific traditional medicines. #AVS12
December 3, 2024 at 2:31 AM