Virus News and Research

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A virus is a microscopic infectious agent that can reproduce only inside a host cell. Viruses infect all types of organisms: from animals and plants, to bacteria and archaea. Since the initial discovery of tobacco mosaic virus by Martinus Beijerinck in 1898, more than 5,000 types of virus have been described in detail, although most types of virus remain undiscovered. Viruses are ubiquitous, as they are found in almost every ecosystem on Earth, and are the most abundant type of biological entity on the planet. The study of viruses is known as virology, and is a branch of microbiology.

New Approach Could Power the Development of Advanced Cell Therapies

A new approach to the genetic engineering of cells promises significant improvements in speed, efficiency, and reduction in cellular toxicity compared to current methods.

2 May 2023

Occludin Protein Plays a Critical Role in Cell-to-Cell Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Virus

While the coronavirus continues to infect people around the world, researchers at the University of Missouri have identified a specific protein inside the human body that plays a critical role in how the virus spreads from cell to cell after infection -; a discovery that will help better understand the COVID-19 disease and could lead to the development of new antiviral drugs in the future.

2 May 2023

The Pivotal Role of Combinatorial CRISPR Gene Editing in the Elimination of HIV-1 Infection

Recent research from Temple University’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine and the University of Nebraska Medical Center demonstrates that gene-editing therapy aimed at two targets - HIV-1, the virus that causes AIDS, and CCR5, the co-receptor that aids the virus getting into cells—can effectively eliminate HIV infection.

2 May 2023

Csx28 Membrane Protein Enhances CRISPR's Anti-Viral Defense

CRISPR achieved scientific popularity for its capacity to quickly and precisely edit genes. At the core, however, CRISPR systems are immune systems that aid bacteria to safeguard themselves from viruses through targeting and abolishing viral RNA and DNA.

28 Apr 2023

Some Promising Human Antibodies can Fight New Variants of SARS-CoV-2

An anonymous San Diego resident has become a fascinating example of how the human immune system fights SARS-CoV-2.

27 Apr 2023

Capturing Viruses in a Lipid Trap

Viruses like influenza A and Ebola invade human cells in a number of steps. In an interdisciplinary approach, research teams from Heidelberg University and Heidelberg University Hospital investigated the final stages of viral penetration using electron tomography and computer simulations.

26 Apr 2023

Abnormal Immune Activity in Astrocytes Causes Dementia-Related Cognitive Deficits

People with dementia have protein build-up in astrocytes that may trigger abnormal antiviral activity and memory loss, according to a preclinical study by a team of Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

21 Apr 2023

Increased Fucose Digestion by Gut Bacteria Linked to Lower Immune Responses to COVID-19 Vaccine

Gut bacteria that break down a sugar called fucose could be dampening our immune response to the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, according to a study led by researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology.

21 Apr 2023

A Previously Unknown Mechanism for DNA Folding Revealed

A hitherto unknown mechanism for DNA folding is described in a study in Nature published by researchers from Karolinska Institutet and the Max Planck Institute for Biophysics.

20 Apr 2023

Quebec Scientists Isolate Infectious SARS-CoV-2 Virus from Hospital Air Samples

Quebec scientists have succeeded in isolating infectious particles of the SARS-CoV-2 virus from air samples collected from hospital rooms of COVID-19 patients and kept frozen for more than a year, a new study shows.

20 Apr 2023

Yale Study Reveals How Omicron Variants Evade Immune System 'Killers'

Omicron subvariants of SARS-CoV-2 -; the virus behind COVID-19 -; have shown an uncanny knack for evading antibodies produced either by vaccines or exposure to earlier versions of the virus, leading to many breakthrough infections.

19 Apr 2023

Small Vesicles Originating From Intestinal Bacteria Have an Adverse Effect on the Liver

Researchers from Niigata University and Kyoto Prefectural University have revealed that small vesicles, around 100 nm in size, released by intestinal bacteria induce immune activation and progression of liver cirrhosis, as well as reduction of serum albumin level, subsequently leading to edema and ascites.

19 Apr 2023

Study Provides Increased Understanding of How Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Behaves in the Brain

The dreaded tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus infects different types of brain cells in different parts of the brain, depending on whether the affected person's immune system is activated or not.

18 Apr 2023

A Protein Domain Could Lead to New Treatments for COVID-19

Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists exploring bioenergy plant genetics have made a surprising discovery: a protein domain that could lead to new COVID-19 treatments.

18 Apr 2023

Researchers Show How a Virus can Induce Cleavage of Human Chromosome 11 to Cause Cancer

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is easily spread through bodily fluids, primarily saliva, such as kissing, shared drinks or using the same eating utensils.

17 Apr 2023

Immune System's B Cells Use Tugging Forces to Pull Antigens Off Other Cells' Surfaces

Most cells evolve slowly, accumulating incremental changes that better suit their environments. Immune cells, because they must adapt rapidly to counter new threats, evolve much more quickly.

17 Apr 2023

Organoid Platform Could Help Reduce the Time for Developing New Conjugate Vaccines

Developing and testing new treatments or vaccines for humans almost always requires animal trials, but these experiments can sometimes take years to complete and can raise ethical concerns about the animals' treatment.

13 Apr 2023

Exceptional Number of Unknown Viruses Found in the Infants' Feces

Viruses are usually associated with illness. But our bodies are full of both bacteria and viruses that constantly proliferate and interact with each other in our gastrointestinal tract.

12 Apr 2023

Artificial Light at Night Could Significantly Impact Mosquito Behavior

A new study's finding that urban light pollution may disrupt the winter dormancy period for mosquitoes that transmit West Nile virus could be considered both good news and bad news.

11 Apr 2023

Researchers Identify Antibody that may Block Infection by All Dominant SARS-CoV-2 Variants

A team led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine, the University of Wisconsin-Madison; Scripps Research and the University of Chicago has identified an antibody that appears to block infection by all dominant variants of the virus that causes COVID-19, including Omicron, the most recent.

10 Apr 2023

Virus News and Research

New Approach Could Power the Development of Advanced Cell Therapies

Occludin Protein Plays a Critical Role in Cell-to-Cell Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Virus

The Pivotal Role of Combinatorial CRISPR Gene Editing in the Elimination of HIV-1 Infection

Csx28 Membrane Protein Enhances CRISPR's Anti-Viral Defense

Some Promising Human Antibodies can Fight New Variants of SARS-CoV-2

Capturing Viruses in a Lipid Trap

Abnormal Immune Activity in Astrocytes Causes Dementia-Related Cognitive Deficits

Increased Fucose Digestion by Gut Bacteria Linked to Lower Immune Responses to COVID-19 Vaccine

A Previously Unknown Mechanism for DNA Folding Revealed

Quebec Scientists Isolate Infectious SARS-CoV-2 Virus from Hospital Air Samples

Yale Study Reveals How Omicron Variants Evade Immune System 'Killers'

Small Vesicles Originating From Intestinal Bacteria Have an Adverse Effect on the Liver

Study Provides Increased Understanding of How Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Behaves in the Brain

A Protein Domain Could Lead to New Treatments for COVID-19

Researchers Show How a Virus can Induce Cleavage of Human Chromosome 11 to Cause Cancer

Immune System's B Cells Use Tugging Forces to Pull Antigens Off Other Cells' Surfaces

Organoid Platform Could Help Reduce the Time for Developing New Conjugate Vaccines

Exceptional Number of Unknown Viruses Found in the Infants' Feces

Artificial Light at Night Could Significantly Impact Mosquito Behavior

Researchers Identify Antibody that may Block Infection by All Dominant SARS-CoV-2 Variants

Driving Support for Pharmaceutical Testing Through Continuous Innovation

From Memory to Metaplasticity: Unraveling the Brain's Secrets

Revolutionizing Mass Spectrometry: A Deep Dive into Plasmion’s SICRIT® Technology

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