On Reading, by Simon Wain-Hobson

Apr 01, 2024

On reading, by Simon Wain-Hobson, is a weekly discussion of scientific papers and news articles around gain of function research in virology.

Dr. Wain-Hobson began writing this weekly essay series in January 2023 for the Biosafety Now website. We will republish these essays on our Substack every Friday, so the full archive will become available on this page in the true order of publication, with newer essays up top.

1918 And All That

Simon Wain-Hobson

Apr 10

On reading What have we learned by resurrecting the 1918 influenza virus? by Brad Gilbertson and Kanta Subbarao, Annual Review of Virology 2023. 10:25–47

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Spanish Lookalikes

Simon Wain-Hobson

Apr 3

On reading Contemporary avian influenza A virus subtype H1, H6, H7, H10, and H15 hemagglutinin genes encode a mammalian virulence factor similar to the 1918 pandemic virus H1 hemagglutinin, by Li Qi and colleagues. mBio 2014, 5:e02116-14.

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The World We Live In

Simon Wain-Hobson

Mar 27

On wondering about the last ten essays.

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Do no harm, 1

Simon Wain-Hobson

Apr 12

This essay first appeared on the Biosafety Now website on February 7, 2024.

On reading The InterAcademy Partnership 2005 statement on biosecurity.

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Getting it Right

Simon Wain-Hobson

Apr 5

This essay first appeared on the Biosafety Now website on January 31, 2024.

On reading Characterization of highly pathogenic clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 mink influenza viruses, by T Maemura, L Guan, C Gu, A Eisfeld, A Biswas, P Halfmann, G Neumann and Y Kawaoka. eBioMedicine 2023;97: 104827 October 2023.

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Deconstructing the Portrait

Simon Wain-Hobson

Mar 29

This essay first appeared on the Biosafety Now website on January 24, 2024.

On reading ‘The epistemic value of gain of function experiments,’ by Arturo Casadevall, Ferric. C. Fang and Michael J. Imperiale. mSphere 2023.

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