Blair Strang
@strangviruslab.bsky.social
City St George's, University of London.
HCMV, anti-viral drugs, placental infection, transmission, etc etc etc.
#JGV Editoral Board.
Views my own.
HCMV, anti-viral drugs, placental infection, transmission, etc etc etc.
#JGV Editoral Board.
Views my own.
Reposted by Blair Strang
MPXV Clade IIb virus infection in mice leads to prolonged viral replication, macrophage infiltration, and decreased spermatogenesis in the testes
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
MPXV Clade IIb virus infection in mice leads to prolonged viral replication, macrophage infiltration, and decreased spermatogenesis in the testes
Mpox (formerly monkeypox) is caused by monkeypox virus (MPXV) and has prompted two recent global health emergencies. Clade IIb MPXV, a recently recognized subclade, has been associated with oral and g...
www.biorxiv.org
January 2, 2026 at 9:51 PM
MPXV Clade IIb virus infection in mice leads to prolonged viral replication, macrophage infiltration, and decreased spermatogenesis in the testes
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Reposted by Blair Strang
Mpox is transmitted by sex, but is it transmitted by semen?
We first need to know if the virus is actually replicating in the testes, so that’s what we set out to find, led by @akelvinlab.bsky.social
Yep, there’s MPXV growing in those balls!
rasmussenretorts.substack.com/p/is-that-mp...
We first need to know if the virus is actually replicating in the testes, so that’s what we set out to find, led by @akelvinlab.bsky.social
Yep, there’s MPXV growing in those balls!
rasmussenretorts.substack.com/p/is-that-mp...
Is that Mpox in Your Balls or Are You Just Happy to See This Preprint?
Deez disordered seminiferous tubules
rasmussenretorts.substack.com
January 2, 2026 at 5:27 PM
Mpox is transmitted by sex, but is it transmitted by semen?
We first need to know if the virus is actually replicating in the testes, so that’s what we set out to find, led by @akelvinlab.bsky.social
Yep, there’s MPXV growing in those balls!
rasmussenretorts.substack.com/p/is-that-mp...
We first need to know if the virus is actually replicating in the testes, so that’s what we set out to find, led by @akelvinlab.bsky.social
Yep, there’s MPXV growing in those balls!
rasmussenretorts.substack.com/p/is-that-mp...
Reposted by Blair Strang
Congratulations to @karishmabisht.bsky.social with her paper on the effect of fever on influenza replication and innate immune activation! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Febrile temperature activates the innate immune response by promoting aberrant influenza A virus RNA synthesis
Fever promotes aberrant influenza A virus RNA synthesis and innate immune activation.
www.science.org
January 2, 2026 at 7:09 PM
Congratulations to @karishmabisht.bsky.social with her paper on the effect of fever on influenza replication and innate immune activation! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Thread👇
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... It's finally out! Meriam Guellil expertly led this project from the first HHV6 detection to the final paper. We found both human herpesviruses 6A and 6B in ancient remains going back 2500 years.
January 2, 2026 at 8:08 PM
Thread👇
Reposted by Blair Strang
"Magical thinking has no place in public health. Every scientist and health care provider has a duty to speak up against these misguided policies and positions".
"... getting up and walking more" is 👍. As a pandemic preparedness strategy, however, a wee bit lacking.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
"... getting up and walking more" is 👍. As a pandemic preparedness strategy, however, a wee bit lacking.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Magical thinking will not prevent future pandemics or improve public health
For much of human history, infectious diseases were the main causes of morbidity and mortality. The sciences of public health, epidemiology, microbiology, and vaccine and drug development have dramati...
www.science.org
January 1, 2026 at 9:59 PM
"Magical thinking has no place in public health. Every scientist and health care provider has a duty to speak up against these misguided policies and positions".
"... getting up and walking more" is 👍. As a pandemic preparedness strategy, however, a wee bit lacking.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
"... getting up and walking more" is 👍. As a pandemic preparedness strategy, however, a wee bit lacking.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Blair Strang
Repurposing of the bisbenzimide antibiotic Ridinilazole as an antiviral compound against human cytomegalovirus
www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...
www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...
Repurposing of the bisbenzimide antibiotic Ridinilazole as an antiviral compound against human cytomegalovirus
Novel antiviral drugs targeting DNA viruses are desirable. Previous studies from our laboratory and others have demonstrated that DNA binding bisbenzimide compounds are capable of inhibiting replicati...
www.microbiologyresearch.org
December 31, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Repurposing of the bisbenzimide antibiotic Ridinilazole as an antiviral compound against human cytomegalovirus
www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...
www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...
Reposted by Blair Strang
For the avoidance of doubt . Spanish ASF outbreak is not a lab strain … back to boring old poor enforcement of food trading standards as the origen
en.ara.cat/society/init...
en.ara.cat/society/init...
The study commissioned by the Catalan government rules out that the African swine fever outbreak originated at IRTA: "It's a strain that has never been found before."
The sequencing carried out by the IRB, parallel to the official study, concludes that the Collserola variant does not match any known sample.
en.ara.cat
December 31, 2025 at 12:56 PM
For the avoidance of doubt . Spanish ASF outbreak is not a lab strain … back to boring old poor enforcement of food trading standards as the origen
en.ara.cat/society/init...
en.ara.cat/society/init...
Reposted by Blair Strang
We've now had 7 consecutive sequencing plates where we detected Measles somewhere, and they are all independent.
December 30, 2025 at 9:36 PM
We've now had 7 consecutive sequencing plates where we detected Measles somewhere, and they are all independent.
Super interesting. As time goes on I’m increasingly convinced we’ve yet to fully understand virus interactions with temperature:
See recent work from @samjwilsonphd.bsky.social et al on flu, and from Boutell @cvrinfo.bsky.social et al on SARS and mpox.
See recent work from @samjwilsonphd.bsky.social et al on flu, and from Boutell @cvrinfo.bsky.social et al on SARS and mpox.
In this perspective, Ryan Langlois @langloislab.bsky.social suggests that understanding fever’s role in shaping antiviral gene #evolution may illuminate blind spots in our comprehension of host–pathogen interactions and antiviral mechanisms. rupress.org/jem/article/...
#InfectiousDisease #Virology
#InfectiousDisease #Virology
December 31, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Super interesting. As time goes on I’m increasingly convinced we’ve yet to fully understand virus interactions with temperature:
See recent work from @samjwilsonphd.bsky.social et al on flu, and from Boutell @cvrinfo.bsky.social et al on SARS and mpox.
See recent work from @samjwilsonphd.bsky.social et al on flu, and from Boutell @cvrinfo.bsky.social et al on SARS and mpox.
Couldn’t agree more.
Thread👇
Thread👇
Every week, Nature publishes yet another breathless puff piece about some AI startup, based only unpublished claims from the company and interviewing only those who work there.
How can the leading scientific journal publish piece after piece that would make Kevin Roose blush?
I think it's that...
How can the leading scientific journal publish piece after piece that would make Kevin Roose blush?
I think it's that...
December 31, 2025 at 11:39 AM
Couldn’t agree more.
Thread👇
Thread👇
Reposted by Blair Strang
The shingles vaccine reduced the probability of new #dementia diagnoses by around one-fifth over seven years, according to a large-scale study of a population in Wales, UK, reported in Nature in April. go.nature.com/4460AE4 🧪
December 30, 2025 at 2:50 PM
The shingles vaccine reduced the probability of new #dementia diagnoses by around one-fifth over seven years, according to a large-scale study of a population in Wales, UK, reported in Nature in April. go.nature.com/4460AE4 🧪
This is exceptional.
Puts to bed questions we’ve been asking for over 20 yrs.
Congrats to all involved!
Thread👇
Puts to bed questions we’ve been asking for over 20 yrs.
Congrats to all involved!
Thread👇
We are excited to share our new @CellCellPress paper revealing mechanisms of action of promising drugs against the helicase-primase of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) 🤩 harvardvirology.bsky.social www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
December 30, 2025 at 11:14 AM
This is exceptional.
Puts to bed questions we’ve been asking for over 20 yrs.
Congrats to all involved!
Thread👇
Puts to bed questions we’ve been asking for over 20 yrs.
Congrats to all involved!
Thread👇
Reposted by Blair Strang
Society Event Grant: Eligible members can apply for the to attend the 2026 Annual Conference in Belfast, offering up to £350 for UK attendees and £650 for international participants. Apply by midnight GMT, January 2, 2026.
🔗Link here: microb.io/AC26Grant
#Microbio26 #Microbiology #MiM26
🔗Link here: microb.io/AC26Grant
#Microbio26 #Microbiology #MiM26
Society Events Grant
Funds are available to support eligible members attending the Society Annual Conference or one other Society meeting per year.
microb.io
December 29, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Society Event Grant: Eligible members can apply for the to attend the 2026 Annual Conference in Belfast, offering up to £350 for UK attendees and £650 for international participants. Apply by midnight GMT, January 2, 2026.
🔗Link here: microb.io/AC26Grant
#Microbio26 #Microbiology #MiM26
🔗Link here: microb.io/AC26Grant
#Microbio26 #Microbiology #MiM26
Reposted by Blair Strang
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has stated that the 1918 flu pandemic was caused by a lab virus from vaccine research, a defective influenza vaccine. Let’s analyze what a lie this is. First, in 1918, 107 years ago, virology was in its infancy
December 27, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has stated that the 1918 flu pandemic was caused by a lab virus from vaccine research, a defective influenza vaccine. Let’s analyze what a lie this is. First, in 1918, 107 years ago, virology was in its infancy
Reposted by Blair Strang
Spookily prescient
“Fascism doesn’t arise suddenly in an existing democracy. It is not easy to get people to give up their ideas of freedom and civility. You have to do trial runs that, if they are done well, serve two purposes.”
1/2
“Fascism doesn’t arise suddenly in an existing democracy. It is not easy to get people to give up their ideas of freedom and civility. You have to do trial runs that, if they are done well, serve two purposes.”
1/2
This was published in 2018 and I haven't stopped thinking about it since then.
www.irishtimes.com/opinion/fint...
www.irishtimes.com/opinion/fint...
Fintan O’Toole: Trial runs for fascism are in full flow
Babies in cages were no ‘mistake’ by Trump but test-marketing for barbarism
www.irishtimes.com
December 27, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Spookily prescient
“Fascism doesn’t arise suddenly in an existing democracy. It is not easy to get people to give up their ideas of freedom and civility. You have to do trial runs that, if they are done well, serve two purposes.”
1/2
“Fascism doesn’t arise suddenly in an existing democracy. It is not easy to get people to give up their ideas of freedom and civility. You have to do trial runs that, if they are done well, serve two purposes.”
1/2
Reposted by Blair Strang
Merry Christmas one and all, from the Vaders 🎄
December 25, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Merry Christmas one and all, from the Vaders 🎄
Reposted by Blair Strang
The Akhtar Lab @manneresearch.bsky.social and Northwestern University @nufeinbergmed.bsky.social is hiring a full time RESEARCH TECHNICIAN. If you want to study neonatal HSV pathogenesis please send me a message and apply for the position here:
luriechildrens.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/externalport...
luriechildrens.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/externalport...
December 23, 2025 at 3:38 PM
The Akhtar Lab @manneresearch.bsky.social and Northwestern University @nufeinbergmed.bsky.social is hiring a full time RESEARCH TECHNICIAN. If you want to study neonatal HSV pathogenesis please send me a message and apply for the position here:
luriechildrens.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/externalport...
luriechildrens.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/externalport...
Anyone? 👇
Help! What's the term for a zoonotic pathogen like mpox that jumps back and forth from humans to animals? Is it still fair to call mpox a zoonosis? Having a terminology fail. #MicroSky #VirologySky #ImmunologySky
December 22, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Anyone? 👇
Reposted by Blair Strang
Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 prior to and during pregnancy, before COVID-19 diagnosis, was associated with a lower risk of severe maternal disease and preterm birth regardless of variant time period.
#COVID19 vaccination before or during pregnancy was associated with lower risks of hospitalization, ICU admission, and preterm birth among those infected with SARS-CoV-2 in Canada.
ja.ma/3XUEa4p
ja.ma/3XUEa4p
December 21, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 prior to and during pregnancy, before COVID-19 diagnosis, was associated with a lower risk of severe maternal disease and preterm birth regardless of variant time period.
In less than 5 years time, I fear we all have this story to tell. 👇
Closing out my year with a journal editor shocker 🧵
Checking new manuscripts today I reviewed a paper attributing 2 papers to me I did not write. A daft thing for an author to do of course. But intrigued I web searched up one of the titles and that's when it got real weird...
Checking new manuscripts today I reviewed a paper attributing 2 papers to me I did not write. A daft thing for an author to do of course. But intrigued I web searched up one of the titles and that's when it got real weird...
December 22, 2025 at 9:32 AM
In less than 5 years time, I fear we all have this story to tell. 👇
Reposted by Blair Strang
Gregor Mendel spent seven to eight years crossing and scoring tens of thousands of pea plants. In contemporary terms, this is known as “a postdoc”
December 21, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Gregor Mendel spent seven to eight years crossing and scoring tens of thousands of pea plants. In contemporary terms, this is known as “a postdoc”
Reposted by Blair Strang
Please consider joining us on the Editorial Board of JGV !
Details within 👇
Please pass on to any appropriate colleagues.
Details within 👇
Please pass on to any appropriate colleagues.
📢 Voluntary opportunity
Journal of General Virology is looking for Editors to support peer review and editorial decisions. This unpaid role contributes to journal strategy and community engagement in virology.
More info: Voluntary Opportunities 👉 microb.io/Vacancies
Journal of General Virology is looking for Editors to support peer review and editorial decisions. This unpaid role contributes to journal strategy and community engagement in virology.
More info: Voluntary Opportunities 👉 microb.io/Vacancies
Jobs
View the current job vacancies at the Microbiology Society.
microb.io
December 20, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Please consider joining us on the Editorial Board of JGV !
Details within 👇
Please pass on to any appropriate colleagues.
Details within 👇
Please pass on to any appropriate colleagues.
🚨 PhD Opportunity 🚨
Investigating the immunobiology of TB/CMV interactions with Rajko Reljic and myself ;
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Informal enquiries to Rajko
Deadline 2nd Feb 2026
Pls RT!!!
Investigating the immunobiology of TB/CMV interactions with Rajko Reljic and myself ;
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Informal enquiries to Rajko
Deadline 2nd Feb 2026
Pls RT!!!
Cellular and molecular basis of human CMV subversion of immunity in tuberculosis at City St George’s, University of London on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Cellular and molecular basis of human CMV subversion of immunity in tuberculosis at City St George’s, University of London, listed on FindAPhD.com
www.findaphd.com
December 18, 2025 at 6:29 PM
🚨 PhD Opportunity 🚨
Investigating the immunobiology of TB/CMV interactions with Rajko Reljic and myself ;
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Informal enquiries to Rajko
Deadline 2nd Feb 2026
Pls RT!!!
Investigating the immunobiology of TB/CMV interactions with Rajko Reljic and myself ;
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Informal enquiries to Rajko
Deadline 2nd Feb 2026
Pls RT!!!
Reposted by Blair Strang
academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
Latest article from Rebecca Youle in Taylor lab at Crick in collaboration with Chad Swanson and my labs on the enzymatic activity of KHNYN, cofactor for ZAP
It is a highly active endoribonuclease with cleavage site preferences and an absolute dependence on manganese
Latest article from Rebecca Youle in Taylor lab at Crick in collaboration with Chad Swanson and my labs on the enzymatic activity of KHNYN, cofactor for ZAP
It is a highly active endoribonuclease with cleavage site preferences and an absolute dependence on manganese
KHNYN is a manganese-dependent endoribonuclease required for ZAP-mediated antiviral restriction
Abstract. Zinc finger antiviral protein (ZAP) is a cytoplasmic protein central to host innate immunity to viral infection. ZAP has no intrinsic catalytic a
academic.oup.com
December 17, 2025 at 12:26 PM
academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
Latest article from Rebecca Youle in Taylor lab at Crick in collaboration with Chad Swanson and my labs on the enzymatic activity of KHNYN, cofactor for ZAP
It is a highly active endoribonuclease with cleavage site preferences and an absolute dependence on manganese
Latest article from Rebecca Youle in Taylor lab at Crick in collaboration with Chad Swanson and my labs on the enzymatic activity of KHNYN, cofactor for ZAP
It is a highly active endoribonuclease with cleavage site preferences and an absolute dependence on manganese