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Reposted by Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer

Helmholtz Institute for One Health (HIOH) @helmholtz-hioh.bsky.social · Sep 5

New study by the Institut Pasteur de Bangui and HIOH examines CAR #mpox outbreaks via genomic #epidemiology. High frequencies of independent spillovers highlight the need to strengthen systematic surveillance & identify animal sources to prevent future outbreaks www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Three researchers preparing samples for high-throughput sequencing in the laboratories of the Genomic Surveillance Platform of the Institut Pasteur de Bangui.

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Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer @scs22.bsky.social · Jul 2

Thanks to Verena for involving us and to all those involved, including the curators of the collections in Zurich (who provided the new samples) and the Berlin Museum of Medical History of the Charite (who provided positive controls).

Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer @scs22.bsky.social · Jul 2

More data is definitely needed to understand the evolutionary genomics of the largest respiratory pandemic of the 20th century.
We don t expect a ton of specimens out there, but a few more can certainly be found.

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Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer @scs22.bsky.social · Jul 2

@lemeylab.bsky.social (incl Bram Vrancken) kicked in to show that the small sample of 1918 IAVs seem to show higher diversity in HA, PA, and PB2 than matched 2009 H1N1pdm samples.
Perhaps helped transition to high pathogenicity, as HA and pol genes have been linked to 1918 IAV high pathogenicity?

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Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer @scs22.bsky.social · Jul 2

The case was from the pre pandemic wave that hit Zurich in July 1918, and was sampled within a week of the first patient clearly identified as a flu case in the city.
The genome already shows human-like residues at key sites for adaptation to mammalian hosts.

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Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer @scs22.bsky.social · Jul 2

We were part of another viral aRNA study that was just published. In this work spearheaded by Christian Urban in the lab of Verena Schuenemann, a new protocol was assessed (good for short fragments) and a seventh 1918 flu genome was completely sequenced

bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

An ancient influenza genome from Switzerland allows deeper insights into host adaptation during the 1918 flu pandemic in Europe - BMC Biology

Background From 1918 to 1920, the largest influenza A virus (IAV) pandemic known to date spread globally causing between 20 to 100 million deaths. Historical records have captured critical aspects of ...

bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com

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Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer @scs22.bsky.social · Apr 9

Congrats to the two amazing PhD candidates who led this work @schlotterbeckj.bsky.social and Carme Riutord-Fe: terrific job! And many thanks to Fabian Leendertz, Liv Patrono, Ari Düx, @jangogarten.bsky.social and everyone involved for yet another exciting project together! 4/4

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Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer @scs22.bsky.social · Apr 9

At first glance it may seem exaggerated to put so much emphasis on a single or a few ecosystems, but in the long run I think it is probably our best shot at disentangling the complex ecological processes that lead to the emergence of infectious diseases 3/4

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Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer @scs22.bsky.social · Apr 9

This was only possible because of @helmholtz-hioh.bsky.social commitment to long term health monitoring of wild nonhuman primates, here at Taï (CIV) with our friends of the @taichimpproject.bsky.social 2/4

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Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer @scs22.bsky.social · Apr 9

We just succeeded in formally linking a specific rodent species - the otherwise charming fire-footed rope squirrel - to the onset of a mpox outbreak in a primate species - sooty mangabeys. Here Kai’s report on the preprint we released yesterday 1/2

Kai Kupferschmidt @kakape.bsky.social · Apr 8

Researchers have been trying for a long time to nail down where in nature mpox lurks.
Now they appear to have caught the virus that causes mpox in the act of spilling over from squirrels to monkeys.
“It is the best clue so far for what the reservoir might be”, says @kgandersen.bsky.social
#IDsky 🧪

How do mpox outbreaks start? Dead baby monkey provides important clue

“Landmark” study fingers fire-footed rope squirrel as a reservoir of fatal disease

www.science.org

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Reposted by Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer

Schaufler Lab (GEAR@HIOH) @schauflerlab.org · Mar 6

We are looking for a dedicated replacement to work as a technical assistant.
www.helmholtz-hzi.de/karriere/job...
If you are interested, please send us your complete application documents in accordance with the job advertisement. @helmholtz-hioh.bsky.social

Das Helmholtz-Institut für One Health (HIOH) sucht eine_n Technische_n Assistent_in (w/m/d)

Das Helmholtz-Institut für One Health (HIOH) Greifswald ist ein Standort des Helmholtz-Zentrums für Infektionsforschung (HZI). Hier werden die Zusammen...

www.helmholtz-hzi.de

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Reposted by Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer

RESTOREID @restoreideu.bsky.social · Jan 23

🧬 First update from the eDNA lab! 🪰

Extracting mammalian DNA from carrion flies collected in Tanzania for biodiversity studies.

A first trial using @helmholtz-hioh.bsky.social protocol for the flies collected by @uantwerpen.bsky.social + #Gecolab

Shoutout to @paulinevanl.bsky.social ! 📸

#eDNA

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Reposted by Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer

Helmholtz Institute for One Health (HIOH) @helmholtz-hioh.bsky.social · Jan 10

🚨 #Job Alert 🚨
Die Bewerbungsfrist für die Position als Institutssekretär:in am HIOH endet bald! 📅 Bewerbungsschluss: 22. Januar.
Eine spannende Chance, Teil eines internationalen Forschungsteams in Greifswald zu werden. Mehr Infos: www.helmholtz-hioh.de/fileadmin/HI...
#JobOpportunity #OneHealth

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Reposted by Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer

Tulio de Oliveira @tuliodna.bsky.social · Jan 12

Excited to announce the African STARS Fellowship, one of the largest programs in Africa. In partnership with Mastercard Foundation, Institut Pasteur & Stellenbosch University, initial funding of 165 million rands. Press release ceri.org.za/news/?token=... Launch 15 Jan, Cape Town, SA

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Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer @scs22.bsky.social · Jan 11

I also think that it does a pretty good job at publicizing important discussions and changes through multiple means (website, Arch Vir, JGV and articles in prominent journals, e.g. Nat Microbiol).

Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer @scs22.bsky.social · Jan 11

As others, including @psimmond.bsky.social have pointed at, the ICTV welcomes all views and proposals.

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Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer @scs22.bsky.social · Jan 11

A very reasonable thread on this (a bit unnecessarily overheated) debate.

Robert J. Gifford @robjgifford.bsky.social · Jan 11

Personally, I have a lot of sympathy for Jens Kuhn. He's dealing with a fundamental and increasingly pressing issue in virology, one that might otherwise be neglected without the intense dedication of someone so earnestly committed to the cause.

Kristian G. Andersen @kgandersen.bsky.social · Jan 9

“Somebody needs to take away whatever drugs the committee is on,” wrote Kristian Andersen"

"Kuhn, the autocrat, mainly rolled his eyes. He hated some of the names, too. “Salt in my wounds,” he called syllabic stews like Lentivirus humimdef1"*

#Virology 😆

www.statnews.com/2025/01/09/v...

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Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer @scs22.bsky.social · Jan 10

I d also like to be added. Thanks!

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Reposted by Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer

Peter Simmonds @psimmond.bsky.social · Jan 10

Hi
Related to your & the previous post, I looked it up and there are 120 Study Groups (SGs), with collectively more than 900 members. These are expert and typically quite experienced virologists, & should provide a reasonable cross-section of knowledge and expertise. So it's not a mad dictatorship!

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Reposted by Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer

sarah-c-hill.bsky.social @sarah-c-hill.bsky.social · Dec 18

🦠 We are recruiting two 2-year postdocs to work at the intersection of virus genomics and infectious disease. jobs.rvc.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx... Please share widely!

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Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer @scs22.bsky.social · Dec 17

This happens every year, which means the ICTV is de facto a permanent consultation body; however, it does not wait for the broader community engagement to enact taxonomy changes

Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer @scs22.bsky.social · Dec 17

These proposals are reviewed by the SG, then
subcommittees and finally the executive committee - a process starting in spring each year (SG send proposals to subcommittees at this point). Approved proposals are then ratified by the entire ICTV membership in the fall

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Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer @scs22.bsky.social · Dec 17

All binomials have already been approved by the ICTV and therefore represent the current official taxonomy. The way it works: ICTV operates year-round, with taxonomy change proposals collected by (usually) family level study groups (SG) and subcommittees - each overseeing multiple SG

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Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer @scs22.bsky.social · Dec 17

The new binomials can be found in the ICTV website‘s taxonomy browser, where a tabular master species list is also available

ictv.global/taxonomy

ictv.global/msl

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Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer @scs22.bsky.social · Dec 16

Much like peer reviewing, it is the kind of community service that many of us add to their evenings and weekends workload. I believe it is now up to the community to engage more with the ICTV. The tools exist (proposals of taxonomic change can be filed by anyone).

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