Cover of TS Digest January 2022 issue 1

January 2022, Issue 1

The Hunt For A Pandemic's Origins

Researchers uncover how the 2009 swine flu leapt to humans from a pig in Mexico

Illustration of a targeted virus over a world map
The Hunt for a Pandemic’s Origins
The Hunt for a Pandemic’s Origins
Dozens of researchers, including myself, worked for years to uncover that swine flu had leapt to humans from a pig in Mexico in 2009. We learned a lot about influenza evolution, pig farming, and outbreak risk along the way.
Photograph of a hummingbird
Even the Tiniest of Birds Use Smell in Some Situations
Even the Tiniest of Birds Use Smell in Some Situations
Once considered anosmic, birds are now widely recognized as using olfactory cues to aid in a wide range of behaviors.
Spores of Fusarium xylarioides
Researchers Resurrect Coffee-Destroying Fungus—to Study It
Researchers Resurrect Coffee-Destroying Fungus—to Study It
Comparing the genomes of modern pathogens with those of cryopreserved strains from several decades ago shed light on the evolution of coffee wilt disease outbreaks in Africa.