From Birds to People: The West Nile Virus Story

NEW! West Nile virus infects mosquitoes, birds, and people—with very different consequences. Drs. Laura Kramer and Marm Kilpatrick discuss their research on the virus life cycle and how factors like temperature and climate affect spread.

Download the accompanying worksheet (PDF) for students to complete as they go through the Click and Learn.

Stopping Mosquito-Borne Disease

Learn about the nature of vector-borne diseases, and the life cycle of the dengue vector mosquito, Interactively explore how to control mosquito-borne diseases. Also featured on the HHMI DVD, Viral Outbreak: The Science of Emerging Disease, available free from HHMI. Order DVDs here.

DNA Sequence Assembly

Learn the principles of how DNA is sequenced and assembled into whole genomes using the Sanger method, shotgun sequencing, or ultra-deep sequencing. Also featured on the HHMI DVD, Viral Outbreak: The Science of Emerging Disease, available free from HHMI. Order DVDs here.

Virochip DNA Microarray

Answer interactive questions to explore the logic of the Virochip microarray design, particularly how evolutionary relationships can be used to detect new viruses. Also featured on the HHMI DVD, Viral Outbreak: The Science of Emerging Disease, available free from HHMI. Order DVDs here.

Cells of the Immune System

An overview of the immune system, concentrating on the roles played by B and T lymphocytes, and the antigen-presentation system. Also featured on the HHMI DVD, AIDS: Evolution of an Epidemic, available free from HHMI. Order DVDs here.

Retroviruses and Viral Diversity

A brief discussion of what makes a virus a retrovirus, and how they differ from other types of viruses. Also featured on the HHMI DVD, AIDS: Evolution of an Epidemic, available free from HHMI. Order DVDs here.

Drug Adherence and Resistance

Problems associated with adherence to antiviral drugs, and a student activity that mimics adherence to a multi-drug regimen. Also featured on the HHMI DVD, AIDS: Evolution of an Epidemic, available free from HHMI. Order DVDs here.

Test Your Knowledge of Microbes

Take this quiz to see how well you understand some of the topics covered in the 1999 Holiday Lectures on infectious disease. Includes links to the relevant parts of the lectures and a final score.

Antibiotics Attack!

A multimedia presentation covering how antibiotics function to fight invaders. Five major sections with animations cover bacteria, antibiotic structure, pathways of attack, penicillin, and antibiotic resistance.