122: Prions and Chronic Wasting Disease with Jason Bartz

Can a protein be contagious? Jason Bartz discusses his work on prion proteins, which cause spongiform encephalopathy and can be transmitted by ingestion or inhalation among some animals. He further discusses how prions can exist as different strains, and what techniques may help improve diagnosis of subclinical infections. Links for this Episode: Jason Bartz Creighton University website Holec SAM, Yuan Q, and Bartz JC. Alteration of Prion Strain Emergence by Nonhost Factors. mSphere. 2019. Yuan Q et al. Dehydration of Prions on Environmentally Relevant Surfaces Protects Them from Inactivation by Freezing and Thawing. Journal of Virology. 2018. Bartz JC. Prion Strain Diversity. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine. 2016.  Bartz JC. From Slow Viruses to Prions PLoS Pathogens. 2016. Deleault NR, Harris BT, Rees JR, Supattapone S. Formation of native prions from minimal components in vitro. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2007. Planet Money Episode 952: Sperm Banks  

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Who is microbiology? Meet the Microbiologist (MTM) introduces you to the people who discover, innovate and advance the field of microbiology. Go behind-the-scenes of the microbial sciences with experts in virology, bacteriology, mycology, parasitology and more! Share in their passion for microbes and hear about research successes and even a few setbacks in their field. MTM covers everything from genomics, antibiotic resistance, synthetic biology, emerging infectious diseases, microbial ecology, public health, social equity, host-microbe biology, drug discovery, artificial intelligence, the microbiome and more! From graduate students to working clinicians and emeritus professors, host, Ashley Hagen, Scientific and Digital Editor at the American Society for Microbiology, highlights professionals in all stages of their careers, gleaning wisdom, career advice and even a bit of mentorship along the way.