Peter Kasson @[email protected]

We study physical mechanism at the pathogen-host interface. Professional account @[email protected]

[Peter Kasson @[email protected] @kassonlab]

We're recruiting postdocs to join our group studying viral entry: one experimentalist and one computationalist. Want to understand how viruses interact with host membranes to infect? How to stop them? Come join us!
https://t.co/rYi0drfmV1

[Peter Kasson @[email protected] @kassonlab]

Been away for a while. Elon's latest outrage makes me loath to support this site, though I miss the people. Heading back into Mastodonia for a bit. Come find me there.

[Peter Kasson @[email protected] @kassonlab]

@ACSPublications customer support "proposed solution" was essentially "not our problem". And then they have the gall to send a satisfaction survey that errors out.

[Peter Kasson @[email protected] @kassonlab]

Challenge factor of assembling children's furniture is substantially enhanced when toddler wants to participate.

[Peter Kasson @[email protected] @kassonlab]

@vijaypande The thing I always wonder is how much of the rest creates the environment where the sqrt(N) people want to work. Clearly not the -1x but...?

[Peter Kasson @[email protected] @kassonlab]

@tropicalscience Need to try gloves. Right now we're at no mittens and then getting really unhappy after 30 min in freezing weather.

[Peter Kasson @[email protected] @kassonlab]

Any suggestions for getting toddlers to wear mittens?

[Peter Kasson @[email protected] @kassonlab]

@galinash And since most get HR from the waveform, a lack of waveform shows up. But that's pedantry

[Peter Kasson @[email protected] @kassonlab]

@marcvanderkamp Lab account on @[email protected], still figuring out if I'll maintain a separate personal or merge

[Peter Kasson @[email protected] @kassonlab]

Setting up shop in Mastodonia. Always helps to have alternatives.

[Peter Kasson @[email protected] @kassonlab]

@kamerlinlab Bit of a jump from baby shark:)

[Peter Kasson @[email protected] @kassonlab]

We have shown previously that membrane deformability does have a big effect. So for influenza entry, it's not where you start that matters but how you climb the barrier.

[Peter Kasson @[email protected] @kassonlab]

Our article on measuring genome exposure in influenza viral entry is posted in final form (available as preprint first). Great work by Ana! Surprisingly, starting membrane curvature doesn't affect fusion kinetics 1/2
https://t.co/X8DkOiipS2

[Peter Kasson @[email protected] @kassonlab]

and commentary https://t.co/zX9K78nysk

"how high will we allow the societal costs to be, and who will bear the greatest costs? Universal masking policies distribute a small cost across society, rather than [...] onto populations that have already been made vulnerable"

[Peter Kasson @[email protected] @kassonlab]

Nice study and thoughtful commentary in NEJM:
"the lifting of masking requirements was associated with an additional 44.9 Covid-19 cases per 1000 students and staff during the 15 weeks after the statewide masking policy was rescinded."
https://t.co/XSfMWll9YP

[Peter Kasson @[email protected] @kassonlab]

@ElisaTelisa @bnschlz @LCasalino88 @abbydommer @RommieAmaro Thanks! Yes, love to chat more sometime (this is part of what I wanted to follow up with you about, sorry for being slow and still hoping to). I think it does all connect nicely.

[Peter Kasson @[email protected] @kassonlab]

been away from the bird for about a week. Lots happening in the real world. And, well, interesting changes here. Waiting to see how it all plays out.

[Peter Kasson @[email protected] @kassonlab]

@hardsci Highly variable. I usually employ the criterion of having enough information to say "yes, I think this is a good person" in a professional context. Could be working with them, interactions at conference, an extended professional conversation.

[Peter Kasson @[email protected] @kassonlab]

Fall colors

[Peter Kasson @[email protected] @kassonlab]

@RommieAmaro Thanks! I'll be interested to compare your omicron findings because we get weaker kinetic activation for fusion by the omicron spike we've used. If the binding affinity and the activation kinetics are decoupled, that would be really cool. But need to compare closely.

[Peter Kasson @[email protected] @kassonlab]

Happy to share our recent #COVID19 preprint. https://t.co/mdVgiAiEk1
Using single-virus fusion measurements and a chemical means to tether virus, we show that ACE-2 is not biochemically required for entry. Other attachment factors can suffice. 1/n