Mainstream Overview of Viruses, Virology, and Vaccines

In this video I provide an overview of mainstream virology in terms of the theory of how viruses develop immunity and the various types of vaccines currently in production as well as future ones being developed. Viruses are submicroscopic (too small to be seen by optical microscope) and semi-alive organisms (essentially a bundle of genetic material inside a ball of lipid / fat / protein) that can somehow replicate inside a host, cause disease, and transmit this to disease other hosts. The theory of acquired immunity involves the body's immune cells recognizing specific parts (antigens) of a pathogen and signaling to T cells or "killer cells" to destroy infected cells.

All vaccines have the same blueprint of generating these antigens in the body for the immune cells to recognize. The conventional types are protein-based vaccines and weakened virus vaccines, while novel types are DNA and mRNA nucleic acid vaccines, such as the ones given emergency approval during COVID-19.

Time stamps:

Viruses are submicroscopic infectious agents that replicate inside living cells: 0:00
Electron microscopic image of a bacteriophages infecting bacterial wall: 1:02
Diagram of tobacco mosaic virus with a coiled RNA helix: 5:54
Electron micrograph of adenovirus showing icosahedral structural: 7:02
Diagrams of how a Transmission Electron Microscopic (TEM) works: 11:48
All images of organisms under a TEM are of dead organisms due to high energy of electrons and heavy metal staining process: 15:48
Coronavirus virions are smaller than wildfire smoke: 21:10
Viruses are 10 times bigger than proteins with are 5 times bigger than DNA which are 20 times bigger than atoms: 24:50
Viruses are important in horizontal gene transfer, and don't possess all characteristics of life: 27:40
Fecal-oral route for disease transmission: 31:50
Vaccine basics: How to develop immunity: 35:20
Vaccine provides acquired immunity to particular infectious disease: 40:30
DNA vaccines work by injecting genetically engineered plasmid containing DNA encoding the desired antigen: 45:34
Comparison of conventional vs novel vaccines: 47:37
Protein-based vaccines don't use genetic material but might require adjuvants: 51:27
Virus vaccines use weakened viruses: 55:07
Viral-vector vaccines deliver viral genetic material using a vector such as weakened viruses: 56:53
Nucleic-acid vaccines inject DNA (using electroporation) or RNA (enclosed in a lipid coat) directly into the cells: 1:00:08
DNA and RNA vaccines are easy to develop so expect more booster shots! 1:02:54