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 Gene Editing Tool Shows Promise for Treating Diseases

Bacterial and archaeal CRISPR-Cas systems, comprising protein and RNA components, were initially developed as a natural defense mechanism against invading viruses.

24 Sep 2024

Study Finds How Plants Limit Viral Spread to Progeny with RNA Interference

Scientists have learned how plants keep viruses from being passed to their offspring, a finding that could ensure healthier crops.

20 Sep 2024

New Strategies to Block Insect-Borne Virus Transmission

Viruses are master parasites that have evolved to infect a variety of host species.

11 Sep 2024

Study Proposes Using Virus-Based Vectors to Enhance Crop Performance

Humans, livestock and companion animals benefit from virus-based vaccines and gene therapies, but crops do not.

11 Sep 2024

Monoclonal Antibody SC27 Shows Broad Effectiveness Against SARS-CoV-2 Variants

A monoclonal antibody appears effective at neutralizing the numerous variants of SARS-CoV-2, as well as related viruses in animals that could pose a threat if they were to begin spreading in people.

10 Sep 2024

SGLT-2 Inhibitors May Lower Dementia Risk in Type 2 Diabetes Patients, Study Finds

A study reveals SGLT-2 inhibitors significantly reduce dementia risk in type 2 diabetes patients, with effects strengthening over longer treatment durations.

9 Sep 2024

Breakthrough Nanoparticle Therapy Boosts Immune Response Against Aggressive Pancreatic Cancer

Innovative use of lipid nanoparticles to deliver immune agonists shows promise in activating anti-tumor immunity in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma models.

9 Sep 2024

LSTM Research Identifies 91 RNA Viruses in Parasitic Worms

New research shows that parasitic nematodes, responsible for infecting more than a billion people globally, carry viruses that may solve the puzzle of why some cause serious diseases.

5 Sep 2024

Atypical B Cells Play a Central Role in COVID-19 Vaccine Response

Vaccines function by strengthening defenses against viruses that invade human bodies. Vaccination against COVID-19 teaches the human immune system's specialized B cells how to identify the virus.

5 Sep 2024

Cryo-EM Study Sheds Light on HSV Drug Resistance Mechanisms Through Protein Movement

All organisms -; from fungi to mammals -; have the capacity to evolve and adapt to their environments. But viruses are master shapeshifters with an ability to mutate greater than any other organism. As a result, they can evade treatments or acquire resistance to once-effective antiviral medications.

28 Aug 2024

Gut Microbiota Modulates Rotavirus Vaccine Effectiveness

Scientists at Georgia State University's Institute for Biomedical Sciences have shown that some gut flora can reduce the effectiveness of the rotavirus vaccine.

27 Aug 2024

Mitochondrial DNA 'Jumps' to Chromosomes, Potentially Impacting Lifespan

As direct descendants of ancient bacteria, mitochondria have always been a little alien.

23 Aug 2024

Ancient Microbes Shaped Modern Immune Systems

When you get infected with a virus, some of the first weapons your body deploys to fight it were passed down to us from our microbial ancestors billions of years ago.

22 Aug 2024

Honeybees Contribute to Bumble Bee Virus Prevalence

Honey bees might contribute to rising virus levels in wild bumble bees each spring, according to Penn State researchers who studied seasonal patterns of parasite and virus transmission in bees.

22 Aug 2024

Understanding the Molecular Basis of Avian Influenza Host Shift

A recent study by the Cusack group clarifies how a crucial enzyme of the avian influenza virus can change, enabling the virus to spread to mammals.

20 Aug 2024

Flavivirus Hijacks Importin-7 for Nuclear Transport and Replication

Viruses of the family Flaviviridae, including Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), Dengue virus (DENV), Zika virus (ZIKV), West Nile virus (WNV), and Tick-borne encephalitis virus, are significant arthropod-borne pathogens.

15 Aug 2024

Discovery of Free-Floating Genes in Bacteria Challenges Genetic Code Assumptions

Since the genetic code was first deciphered in the 1960s, our genes seemed like an open book. By reading and decoding our chromosomes as linear strings of letters, like sentences in a novel, we can identify the genes in our genome and learn why changes in a gene's code affect health.

12 Aug 2024