Daniel Weir

Cryo-EM structure reveals how influenza A virus NEP binds the viral polymerase at a regulatory hotspot, coordinating RNA synthesis and nuclear export. Fantastic collaboration with @loiccarrique.bsky.social and Jon Grimes. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

A group of four smiling people in front of a Christmas tree. In the middle, holding a well-thumbed, hand-annotated printout of a PhD thesis but otherwise looking impressively unruffled, is Dr Daniel Weir, gentleman, scholar, and doctor of influenza virology.

Huge congratulations to Dr @danielweiriav.bsky.social, outstanding scientist and wonderful colleague, who passed his viva with flying colours today @cvrinfo.bsky.social. Next stop, on to Oxford for a postdoc with @efodor.bsky.social - we're really excited to see what you do next! 🦠🥳 #PhDone

Escape from Death: Flu virus spreads via tunnelling tubes it induces between cells; tube formation correlates with onset of apoptosis

📷 @danielweiriav.bsky.social et al @socialinfluenza.bsky.social lab @uofglasgow.bsky.social in
@plos.org PLOS Pathogens

➡️ bpod.org.uk/archive/2025...

ICYMI: @danielweiriav.bsky.social 's lovely work on influenza's secret tunnels between cells is now summarised in this video, as well as being the featured Biomedical Picture of the Day here: bpod.org.uk/archive/2025...

🦠 Influenza's Great Escape

New research from @danielweiriav.bsky.social & colleagues reveals that flu viruses use secret tunnelling nanotube-like structures to escape your immune system.

Full video: youtu.be/Opfpwy9yUew

gla.ac.uk/research/az/...

@socialinfluenza.bsky.social @uofgsii.bsky.social

Induction of tunnelling nanotube-like structures by influenza A viruses requires the onset of apoptosis Author summary Influenza A viruses (IAVs) spread efficiently through the respiratory tract in the form of extracellular virus particles, but can be restricted by neutralising antibodies and antiviral ...

Induction of tunnelling nanotube-like structures by influenza A viruses requires the onset of apoptosis

journals.plos.org/plospathogen...

To all the coauthors, Cal Bentley-Abbot, Jack McCowan, Colin Loney, Ed Roberts and @socialinfluenza.bsky.social , thanks for all your hard work and guidance! We are grateful for the funders, reviewers, @plos.org and our many fantastic colleagues @cvrinfo.bsky.social

This work uncovers a novel way in which IAVs can exploit cell death to propagate infection. This time it does so by ensuring its continued spread after it has exhausted the life of its host cell, and the often hostile environment of the lung awaits. N/11

Is apoptosis then required for IAV direct cell to cell spread? Well, not only do IAVs frequently undergo direct cell to cell spread, but this can almost be completely prevented with the inhibition of apoptosis! N/10

💡we found that whilst apoptosis alone had no effect, TLS induction by IAVs required both virus replication and the onset of apoptosis. Overall, our data reveals that apoptosis induced through IAV replication is responsible for the triggering of TLSs. N/9

🔍Clue 3: the induction of TLSs correlated with the onset of apoptosis. Furthermore, inhibition of apoptosis prevented the ability of IAVs to induce TLSs. However, induction of apoptosis with drugs, independent of infection, did not induce TLS formation. N/9

🔎Clue 2: induction of TLSs was consistent between IAV strains having either filamentous or spherical virion morphologies. This was in despite of several curious similarities between TLSs and budding IAV filaments. N/8

🔎Clue 1: the induction of TLSs did not occur through the release of paracrine innate immune signals, but did require intracellualr IAV replication. N/7

Satisfied that TLSs could be relevant to within host IAV spread, we set out to find how IAVs were triggering their formation. For this investigation we embarked on a systematic hunt for clues, using in vitro cell culture systems. N/6

Firstly, we wanted to see if these structures formed at the natural site of IAV infection. We collaborated with the wonderful Ed Roberts lab and we could see, for the first time, evidence of TNT-like structures (TLSs) forming from infected cells within the lungs of mice. N/5

One mechanism of IAV direct cell to cell spread in vitro is through the formation of long, thin and fragile membrane connections known as Tunnelling Nanotubes (TNTs). Impressively, IAVs trigger the formation of TNTs but it was unknown how they were doing this. N/4

Direct cell to cell spread of IAVs describes the mechanisms that deliver viral genomes to new cells, independent of a cell free virus particle. This can allow infection spread even in the presence of antiviral drugs and neutralising anitbodies. N/3

@socialinfluenza.bsky.social we are fascinated about what makes IAVs infectious and what shapes it's within host spread. The complexity of this fundamental biology is underappreciated and many questions remain. A perfect example of this is the direct cell to cell spread of these viruses. N/2

Induction of tunnelling nanotube-like structures by influenza A viruses requires the onset of apoptosis Author summary Influenza A viruses (IAVs) spread efficiently through the respiratory tract in the form of extracellular virus particles, but can be restricted by neutralising antibodies and antiviral ...

🚨🔎 Out now in PLOS Pathogens ! 🔎🚨 This project has taken us @cvrinfo.bsky.social @uofgmvls.bsky.social on a wild and wonderful journey. I am excited to share our story of how influenza A viruses (IAVs) exploit cell death to facilitate its covert spread. N/1 journals.plos.org/plospathogen...

Well done Daniel! 👏

For those who sadly couldn't be there, you were missed. However, fear not, for we have a pre-print available! With hopefully more updates to share soon! t.co/GyBP66ggjE

Thanks to everyone who came along to the Virus-Host interactions forum today at Microsoc 2025! A privilege and pleasure to present my PhD work with @socialinfluenza.bsky.social @cvrinfo.bsky.social. A story, which has grown and taken me on a crazy Flu ride that I hope is just starting!

Shameless plugs: if you're at the meeting please say hello to members of our group, they are all fab:
(1) @danielweiriav.bsky.social talks about TNTs and flu in the Virus:Host Interactions Forum (Weds 2nd 14:45)
(2) Junsen Zhang has a poster in block A on pasteurising flu in milk (A036)
...

Cells glowing either magenta or green, showing infection by two different viruses. The differently coloured regions meet at a sharp interface with little overlap. A scale bar marks 1 mm.

Why can't these viruses be friends?
In a new study from her PhD @cvrinfo.bsky.social, #AnnaSims shows that #SARS-CoV-2 infections segregate into distinct microdomains as they spread. But why? (1/N)
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

A region of purple cells and a region of green cells, touching but not overlapping

Why can't these viruses be friends?
During her PhD, Anna Sims showed that influenza viruses segregate into genetically-distinct lesion through a process called superinfection exclusion. In a new preprint, she shows that the same process also applies for SARS-CoV-2
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Polymerase mutations underlie adaptation of H5N1 influenza virus to dairy cattle and other mammals. In early 2024, an unprecedented outbreak of H5N1 high pathogenicity avian influenza was detected in dairy cattle in the USA. The epidemic remains uncontrolled, with spillbacks into poultry, wild birds...

Really proud to share our preprint describing early adaptation of H5N1 to US dairy cattle, and showing how these mutations enhance the ability of the virus to infect other mammals, such as pigs and humans.

With @influenzal.bsky.social @vidhid.bsky.social @drclairesmith.bsky.social and many more!

CVR-Zeiss Imaging Competition 2024, showcasing a series of microscopy images. It includes a winner ("Mosquitoes don’t discriminate" by J.P. Parvy) and two runner-up entries, with additional vibrant microscopy visuals displayed along the bottom.

🔬 CVR Bioimaging recently hosted an Imaging Competition in collaboration with Zeiss.

JP Parvy won with 'Mosquitoes don’t discriminate.' Ewan Parry and @danielweiriav.bsky.social were runners up.

All images will be used to decorate the walls of the CVR!

A smiling man receiving a certificate from a smiling woman

A smiling man receiving a certificate from a smiling woman

Thank you to everyone for taking part in this year's Influenza Update Meeting, it was really fun to catch up. All the presentations were great, but particular congratulations to Cal Bentley-Abbot and Daniel Weir for winning the vote for best talk and poster, respectively: well done!

inaugural post on the new blue app I'll be wasting my time on!

I was conferencing last week and spent a lot of time talking about #H5N1 with colleagues. Particularly the curious human case from BC, Canada 🍁.

This week the sequence is out and I'm back in Tokyo, so I made some trees! 🧵