TWiV 1237: Hepatitis C and persistence with Charlie Rice

This episode of TWiV (This Week in Virology) comes from the American Society for Virology annual meeting in Montreal, Canada, featuring Vincent Racaniello, Kathy Spindler, and guest Charlie Rice, a Nobel Laureate from Rockefeller University. They discuss Rice's keynote address, his early research, and the challenges of working with Hepatitis C virus (HCV), including the long road to developing an infectious clone and the eventual development of effective antivirals. The conversation covers the evolution of research methods, the impact of Steve Feinstone's call on Rice's career, the shift from chimpanzee models to other animal models for studying HCV, and the potential for eliminating Hepatitis C. They also touch on the state of science and public health in the US and the importance of public support for scientific research, ending with lighter topics such as Rice's Nobel Prize experience and his alternate career choice.