Chris Brooke
@christopherbrooke.bsky.social
Viral evolution and infection biology. Assoc. professor at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. brookelab.org
Reposted by Chris Brooke
Last week in Minnesota, I watched ordinary people risk their lives to protect their neighbors. In the process, they not only won a significant—though not final—victory against authoritarianism, they proved virtually every MAGA social theory wrong. (gift link) www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
January 27, 2026 at 1:06 PM
Last week in Minnesota, I watched ordinary people risk their lives to protect their neighbors. In the process, they not only won a significant—though not final—victory against authoritarianism, they proved virtually every MAGA social theory wrong. (gift link) www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
Reposted by Chris Brooke
This is the chair of ACIP. Experimenting on America's kids. HE'S GOT TO GO. “What we’re going to have is a real-world experience of when unvaccinated people get measles,” he said. “What is the new incidence of hospitalization? What’s the incidence of death?” www.statnews.com/2026/01/22/v....
Top CDC vaccine adviser questions need for polio shot, other longstanding recommendations
The chair of a federal vaccine advisory panel charted a new course for the committee in a podcast released Thursday, questioning longstanding recommendations.
www.statnews.com
January 23, 2026 at 10:43 AM
This is the chair of ACIP. Experimenting on America's kids. HE'S GOT TO GO. “What we’re going to have is a real-world experience of when unvaccinated people get measles,” he said. “What is the new incidence of hospitalization? What’s the incidence of death?” www.statnews.com/2026/01/22/v....
Reposted by Chris Brooke
Beautiful work from @efodor.bsky.social and Jonathan Grimes' labs - the first full structure of the influenza A virus NEP protein, and a clear indication that its role in viral replication is more nuanced that first thought
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Regulatory hotspot on the influenza A virus polymerase revealed through the structure of the NEP-polymerase complex
Structural studies reveal how influenza virus switches between making new RNA genomes and exporting them from the host nucleus.
www.science.org
January 24, 2026 at 1:42 PM
Beautiful work from @efodor.bsky.social and Jonathan Grimes' labs - the first full structure of the influenza A virus NEP protein, and a clear indication that its role in viral replication is more nuanced that first thought
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Chris Brooke
🚨 New from me: Grant review at more than half of NIH's institutes could be frozen by the end of the year.
That's because crucial NIH grant-review panels are slated to be empty at those institutes by Jan 2027.
A wonky bureaucratic problem with big implications.
A short 🧵
That's because crucial NIH grant-review panels are slated to be empty at those institutes by Jan 2027.
A wonky bureaucratic problem with big implications.
A short 🧵
Exclusive: key NIH review panels due to lose all members by the end of 2026
Thirteen of the agency’s advisory councils, which must review grant applications before funding is awarded, are on track to have no voting members.
www.nature.com
January 22, 2026 at 7:46 PM
🚨 New from me: Grant review at more than half of NIH's institutes could be frozen by the end of the year.
That's because crucial NIH grant-review panels are slated to be empty at those institutes by Jan 2027.
A wonky bureaucratic problem with big implications.
A short 🧵
That's because crucial NIH grant-review panels are slated to be empty at those institutes by Jan 2027.
A wonky bureaucratic problem with big implications.
A short 🧵
Reposted by Chris Brooke
Excited to share: We show that basal IFNλ2/3 signaling helps human intestinal epithelial cells stay ready for viral infections, even before an acute infection. A reminder that a lot of innate immune defense happens quietly in the background. journals.plos.org/plospathogen...
Basal IFNλ2/3 signaling is required for ISG expression and viral control in human intestinal epithelial cells
Author summary Interferon-lambdas (IFNλs) are antiviral molecules that help protect the surfaces of our body, such as the gut and lungs, from infection. While IFNλs are best known for being produced d...
journals.plos.org
January 22, 2026 at 4:46 PM
Excited to share: We show that basal IFNλ2/3 signaling helps human intestinal epithelial cells stay ready for viral infections, even before an acute infection. A reminder that a lot of innate immune defense happens quietly in the background. journals.plos.org/plospathogen...
Reposted by Chris Brooke
I came to Minneapolis to report on what's going on, and one of the main questions I showed up with is "just what is the scale of the resistance?" After all, we're all used to the news calling Portland a "war zone" or whatever when it's just some protests in one part of town.
January 22, 2026 at 3:58 AM
I came to Minneapolis to report on what's going on, and one of the main questions I showed up with is "just what is the scale of the resistance?" After all, we're all used to the news calling Portland a "war zone" or whatever when it's just some protests in one part of town.
Reposted by Chris Brooke
Rhinoviruses cause common cold & asthma attacks but are also often benign. Using nasal organoids, we learned how the community of cells in the lining the nasal passages coordinates to respond to rhinovirus and which responses lead to excess mucus & inflammation. www.cell.com/cell-press-b...
Rhinovirus triggers distinct host responses through differential engagement of epithelial innate immune signaling
Rhinoviruses are the most frequent cause of common colds and also a major cause of
respiratory distress in high-risk groups. Using single-cell sequencing of rhinovirus-infected
nasal epithelial organo...
www.cell.com
January 20, 2026 at 9:23 PM
Rhinoviruses cause common cold & asthma attacks but are also often benign. Using nasal organoids, we learned how the community of cells in the lining the nasal passages coordinates to respond to rhinovirus and which responses lead to excess mucus & inflammation. www.cell.com/cell-press-b...
Reposted by Chris Brooke
Minnesota: "School officials say the [5-year-old] child was used as bait. They say [ICE] agents made little Liam knock on the door to ask to be let in in order to see if anyone else was home."
January 22, 2026 at 12:05 AM
Minnesota: "School officials say the [5-year-old] child was used as bait. They say [ICE] agents made little Liam knock on the door to ask to be let in in order to see if anyone else was home."
Reposted by Chris Brooke
Now live! Nearly all human genes contain multiple transcript isoforms - and the genes that predominantly control infection, ISGs, are no different. Using PacBio with analysis help from Yan Guo, Himadri noticed a never-before-seen transcript isoform of ISG15 that potently restricts flu 1/4
www.biorxiv.org
January 17, 2026 at 3:28 AM
Now live! Nearly all human genes contain multiple transcript isoforms - and the genes that predominantly control infection, ISGs, are no different. Using PacBio with analysis help from Yan Guo, Himadri noticed a never-before-seen transcript isoform of ISG15 that potently restricts flu 1/4
Reposted by Chris Brooke
The thing I always come back to is how many people never despaired against longer odds, and how arrogant it would be to put myself above them.
January 7, 2026 at 10:12 PM
The thing I always come back to is how many people never despaired against longer odds, and how arrogant it would be to put myself above them.
Reposted by Chris Brooke
We find that subclade K viruses are antigenically advanced; however, this year's flu vaccine surprisingly elicited antibodies in many individuals that efficiently recognized these viruses. The implications are clear: go get this year’s vaccine if you haven’t already!
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.6...
Antibodies elicited by the 2025-2026 influenza vaccine in humans
A new H3N2 variant (named subclade K) possesses several key hemagglutinin substitutions and is circulating widely during the 2025-2026 influenza season. In this report, we completed experiments to det...
www.medrxiv.org
January 7, 2026 at 1:34 PM
We find that subclade K viruses are antigenically advanced; however, this year's flu vaccine surprisingly elicited antibodies in many individuals that efficiently recognized these viruses. The implications are clear: go get this year’s vaccine if you haven’t already!
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.6...
Reposted by Chris Brooke
If you are submitting an NIH grant in February, you will be required to use SciENcv to prepare you biosketch.
IT IS MUCH WORSE THAN YOU CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE.
Set aside *at least* 4 hours just to transfer an existing an biosketch into SciENcv.
IT IS MUCH WORSE THAN YOU CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE.
Set aside *at least* 4 hours just to transfer an existing an biosketch into SciENcv.
January 6, 2026 at 11:29 PM
If you are submitting an NIH grant in February, you will be required to use SciENcv to prepare you biosketch.
IT IS MUCH WORSE THAN YOU CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE.
Set aside *at least* 4 hours just to transfer an existing an biosketch into SciENcv.
IT IS MUCH WORSE THAN YOU CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE.
Set aside *at least* 4 hours just to transfer an existing an biosketch into SciENcv.
Reposted by Chris Brooke
Three weeks ago I explained in @statnews.com why adopting Denmark’s vaccine schedule would leave American children unprotected. Today HHS did it anyway.
www.statnews.com/2025/12/19/d...
www.statnews.com/2025/12/19/d...
Why Denmark's vaccine schedule works for Denmark — but not for the United States
With its vaccine schedule, “Denmark has made a values choice to accept preventable hospitalizations and illnesses that other countries have chosen to prevent.”
www.statnews.com
January 6, 2026 at 2:11 AM
Three weeks ago I explained in @statnews.com why adopting Denmark’s vaccine schedule would leave American children unprotected. Today HHS did it anyway.
www.statnews.com/2025/12/19/d...
www.statnews.com/2025/12/19/d...
Happy to see @joelrc.bsky.social's paper identifying cellular heterogeneity in basal OASL expression as a major determinant of interferon induction during influenza virus infection out in its final form:
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Happy new year, hope everyone's 2026 is better than 2025!
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Happy new year, hope everyone's 2026 is better than 2025!
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
www.pnas.org
January 1, 2026 at 12:42 AM
Happy to see @joelrc.bsky.social's paper identifying cellular heterogeneity in basal OASL expression as a major determinant of interferon induction during influenza virus infection out in its final form:
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Happy new year, hope everyone's 2026 is better than 2025!
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Happy new year, hope everyone's 2026 is better than 2025!
Reposted by Chris Brooke
Reposted by Chris Brooke
Macedo and Lee misrepresent what happened during the pandemic and are unable to confront Covid's actual toll, presumably because it undermines their premise. A longer take here w/my colleague Greg Gibson:
joshuasweitz.substack.com/p/revisionis...
joshuasweitz.substack.com/p/revisionis...
Revisionism in the Wake of Covid
A dialogue confronting the premise of revisionist efforts to diminish the pandemic's severity and dismantle public health institutions.
joshuasweitz.substack.com
December 26, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Macedo and Lee misrepresent what happened during the pandemic and are unable to confront Covid's actual toll, presumably because it undermines their premise. A longer take here w/my colleague Greg Gibson:
joshuasweitz.substack.com/p/revisionis...
joshuasweitz.substack.com/p/revisionis...
Reposted by Chris Brooke
🧵 Thread on our new @natcomms.nature.com paper: TLDR -- ADP-ribosylation inhibits viral replication and represents a previously under-appreciated arm of innate immunity during flu infection. Read along for the details…. (1/11) www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Global remodeling of ADP-ribosylation by PARP1 suppresses influenza A virus infection - Nature Communications
Influenza A virus infection causes a dramatic upregulation of ADP-ribosylation that as part of the cellular antiviral response, a process that is counteracted by the viral NS1 protein.
www.nature.com
December 19, 2025 at 9:52 PM
🧵 Thread on our new @natcomms.nature.com paper: TLDR -- ADP-ribosylation inhibits viral replication and represents a previously under-appreciated arm of innate immunity during flu infection. Read along for the details…. (1/11) www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Chris Brooke
Reposted by Chris Brooke
Put a perspective piece together on how fever may have driven the evolution of antiviral genes: rupress.org/jem/article/...
Does fever drive the evolution of antiviral genes? | Journal of Experimental Medicine | Rockefeller University Press
Fever is an evolutionary conserved response to pathogens. In this Perspective, Langlois hypothesizes that antiviral genes are selected for their function a
rupress.org
December 15, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Put a perspective piece together on how fever may have driven the evolution of antiviral genes: rupress.org/jem/article/...
Check out @lizthayer.bsky.social's new preprint exploring factors that influence cell-to-cell heterogeneity in interferon (IFN) induction potential!
Single-cell heterogeneity in interferon induction potential is heritable and governed by variation in cell state https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.09.693293v1
December 12, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Check out @lizthayer.bsky.social's new preprint exploring factors that influence cell-to-cell heterogeneity in interferon (IFN) induction potential!
Reposted by Chris Brooke
My first lead author paper is out with Ben Kerr and @alisonfeder.bsky.social! We found that making an antiviral too strong can sometimes make resistance easier to evolve. This has implications for how we design drugs, choose doses, and think about viral evolution in the face of treatment. (1/n)
Intracellular interactions shape antiviral resistance outcomes in poliovirus via eco-evolutionary feedback - Nature Ecology & Evolution
A model of intrahost poliovirus replication shows that, after several rounds of replication, pocapavir, a poliovirus capsid inhibitor, collapses viral density, preventing intracellular interactions th...
www.nature.com
December 8, 2025 at 5:15 PM
My first lead author paper is out with Ben Kerr and @alisonfeder.bsky.social! We found that making an antiviral too strong can sometimes make resistance easier to evolve. This has implications for how we design drugs, choose doses, and think about viral evolution in the face of treatment. (1/n)
Reposted by Chris Brooke
A study on 1.7 million people in Hong Kong shows superior hybrid immunity to Covid in people who got vaccinated before infection vs. people who got infected first. "Our findings are a direct rebuttal to arguments for natural immunity," the authors write. doi.org/10.1016/j.va...
Redirecting
doi.org
December 6, 2025 at 5:02 PM
A study on 1.7 million people in Hong Kong shows superior hybrid immunity to Covid in people who got vaccinated before infection vs. people who got infected first. "Our findings are a direct rebuttal to arguments for natural immunity," the authors write. doi.org/10.1016/j.va...
Reposted by Chris Brooke
Meet the head of a federal panel expected to upend the childhood vaccine schedule later this week. Dr. Kirk Milhoan believes that Covid was made in North Carolina and deployed to China as a bioweapon ... among other conspiracy theories. www.ms.now/news/rfk-jr-...
December 3, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Meet the head of a federal panel expected to upend the childhood vaccine schedule later this week. Dr. Kirk Milhoan believes that Covid was made in North Carolina and deployed to China as a bioweapon ... among other conspiracy theories. www.ms.now/news/rfk-jr-...
Reposted by Chris Brooke
Check out our latest paper on mirusviruses, one of the most remarkable new groups of protist viruses - extremely diverse, carry lots of spliceosomal introns (including new homing introns) and are at the evolutionary crossroads between tailed phages and herpesviruses! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Widespread and intron-rich mirusviruses are predicted to reproduce in nuclei of unicellular eukaryotes - Nature Microbiology
Environmental metagenomic explorations show that Mirusviricota lineages lack essential replication and transcription genes and contain spliceosomal introns, suggesting nuclear reproduction.
www.nature.com
November 28, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Check out our latest paper on mirusviruses, one of the most remarkable new groups of protist viruses - extremely diverse, carry lots of spliceosomal introns (including new homing introns) and are at the evolutionary crossroads between tailed phages and herpesviruses! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Chris Brooke
Amazing example of influenza cheat/cooperator cycles in this recent paper - the repeatability of the oscillatory cycles is so striking
Congrats to @alnajifg.bsky.social , @christopherbrooke.bsky.social , @vignuzzilab.bsky.social & friends
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧪 #socialviruses
Congrats to @alnajifg.bsky.social , @christopherbrooke.bsky.social , @vignuzzilab.bsky.social & friends
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧪 #socialviruses
November 28, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Amazing example of influenza cheat/cooperator cycles in this recent paper - the repeatability of the oscillatory cycles is so striking
Congrats to @alnajifg.bsky.social , @christopherbrooke.bsky.social , @vignuzzilab.bsky.social & friends
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧪 #socialviruses
Congrats to @alnajifg.bsky.social , @christopherbrooke.bsky.social , @vignuzzilab.bsky.social & friends
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧪 #socialviruses