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.

A protein in the lung forms a natural protective barrier against SARS-CoV-2 infection

University of Sydney scientists have discovered a protein in the lung that blocks SARS-CoV-2 infection and forms a natural protective barrier in the human body.

10 Feb 2023

Researchers pioneer a new approach to study mosquito's DNA

When it comes to DNA, one pesky mosquito turns out to be a rebel among species.

10 Feb 2023

Novel compound curtails influenza virus replication

Viruses use the molecular repertoire of the host cell to replicate. Researchers from the Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation2 at the University of Bonn, together with Japanese researchers, want to exploit this for the treatment of influenza.

10 Feb 2023

New platform to study the feeding behavior of mosquitoes

If watching animals feast on human blood for 30-plus hours isn't your idea of fun, don't worry. The robot can do it.

10 Feb 2023

Complete Genomics Drops Genome Sequencing Price to Sub $100 at AGBT General Meeting

Complete Genomics Inc., a global life science tools leader and subsidiary of MGI Tech Co., Ltd. (“MGI”), today launched new revolutionary products and prices at Advances in Genome Biology and Technology (AGBT) General Meeting.

From Complete Genomics 9 Feb 2023

Psychological trauma related to HIV could make it difficult to end the AIDS epidemic

Failing to address the psychological trauma experienced by many older people living with HIV/AIDS will make it difficult, if not impossible, to end the epidemic, according to a Rutgers study.

8 Feb 2023

Protein that facilitates cancer-causing viruses dodge the immune system

Numerous cancers have been related to the viruses Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV). For the first time, UNC School of Medicine researchers have shown that these viruses elude the innate immune response by using a human protein called barrier-to-autointegration factor 1, or BAF, which enables the viruses to propagate and cause disease.

7 Feb 2023

UNC research describes another layer to the challenge of HIV latency

When people living with HIV take antiviral therapy (ART), their viral loads are driven so low that a standard blood test cannot detect the virus.

1 Feb 2023

Innovative gene therapy to cure multiple eye diseases

The future treatment of individuals with various eye diseases could benefit immensely from a potential new gene therapy strategy, according to Trinity University researchers.

31 Jan 2023

Cryo-EM helps visualize the detailed structure of viral genome replication machinery

RNA viruses, such as the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, are in a life-and-death race the moment they infect a cell.

30 Jan 2023

Experts urge to recognize the need for more rational discourse around the future of virology

The study of viruses is under renewed scrutiny, say more than 150 experts in a new commentary published today in mSphere, mBio and the Journal of Virology, journals of the American Society for Microbiology.

27 Jan 2023

Collaboration across European countries accelerates the characterization of an emergent plant virus

In the 21st century, "collaboration" has become a popular buzzword, but effectively working together across disciplines and countries is easier said than done.

27 Jan 2023

Scientists receive $10 million from HHMI for research on using viruses as therapeutic agents

Taking a bold step into a new era of biology, a team of scientists from the University of California San Diego, the J. Craig Venter Institute and Yale University has been awarded $10 million by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to support research on using viruses as new therapeutic agents.

27 Jan 2023

Native genome model of a “live” virus replicated

An Aston University scientist has developed the world’s first computer reconstruction of a virus, complete with its native genome.

24 Jan 2023

New revelations on the immune system’s defenses against infections

Cells competing for a place in a germinal center confront a tough admissions process. Germinal centers, which form following exposure to a pathogen or vaccine, serve as a kind of immune system training academy, assisting B cells in refining their response to the threat.

18 Jan 2023

New scalable approach for the diagnosis of multiple respiratory viruses

Cambridge scientists have created a novel test that “fishes” for many respiratory viruses at once using single strands of DNA as “bait” and provides extremely accurate results in under an hour.

18 Jan 2023

Grasping how a biological pathway causes stem cells to regenerate or die

According to a recent study conducted by Cedars-Sinai and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), altering a cellular process can cause stem cells, which are the cells that give rise to all other types of body cells, to either die or regenerate.

18 Jan 2023

A new-found possibility for viral and cancer drug therapies

Researchers have found that sugar-based molecules can be used to inhibit the activity of a cell receptor that plays a role in the emergence of a variety of viral infections and cancers.

13 Jan 2023

Researchers expand the known defensive abilities of CRISPR–Cas systems

Viruses can infect bacteria and archaea, just as they can humans. These microbes have evolved their own immune defense mechanisms to combat their pathogens. Bacterial defenses, like CRISPR-Cas systems, contain a variety of proteins and functions that aid bacteria in protecting themselves from foreign intruders.

5 Jan 2023

Emerging viruses could be easily detected with a simple nasal swab

As the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated, potentially harmful new viruses can spread throughout the population long before the system for monitoring global public health can catch them.

5 Jan 2023

Virus News and Research

A protein in the lung forms a natural protective barrier against SARS-CoV-2 infection

Researchers pioneer a new approach to study mosquito's DNA

Novel compound curtails influenza virus replication

New platform to study the feeding behavior of mosquitoes

Complete Genomics Drops Genome Sequencing Price to Sub $100 at AGBT General Meeting

Psychological trauma related to HIV could make it difficult to end the AIDS epidemic

Protein that facilitates cancer-causing viruses dodge the immune system

UNC research describes another layer to the challenge of HIV latency

Innovative gene therapy to cure multiple eye diseases

Cryo-EM helps visualize the detailed structure of viral genome replication machinery

Experts urge to recognize the need for more rational discourse around the future of virology

Collaboration across European countries accelerates the characterization of an emergent plant virus

Scientists receive $10 million from HHMI for research on using viruses as therapeutic agents

Native genome model of a “live” virus replicated

New revelations on the immune system’s defenses against infections

New scalable approach for the diagnosis of multiple respiratory viruses

Grasping how a biological pathway causes stem cells to regenerate or die

A new-found possibility for viral and cancer drug therapies

Researchers expand the known defensive abilities of CRISPR–Cas systems

Emerging viruses could be easily detected with a simple nasal swab

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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