Virology is the branch of biological sciences that investigates viruses and virus-like agents, encompassing their molecular structure, genome organization, replication strategies, evolution, and interactions with host cells and organisms. It integrates methods from molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, immunology, and cell biology to elucidate viral entry, gene expression, assembly, egress, and mechanisms of pathogenesis. Virology also addresses virus classification, epidemiology, host range, and antiviral resistance, and underpins the rational design of vaccines, antiviral drugs, viral vectors for gene delivery, and oncolytic virotherapies, as well as biosurveillance and containment strategies for emerging and re-emerging viral diseases.
The flu illness is triggered by influenza viruses, which enter the body through droplets and then infect cells. Researchers from Switzerland and Japan have now investigated the flu virus in minute detail.
Cell & Microbiology
Dec 4, 2025
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46
Marine viruses deploy a sophisticated Trojan horse maneuver that enables them to dismantle the energy systems of ocean bacteria and use the breakdown products for self-replication. This finding comes from a study conducted ...
Ecology
Nov 25, 2025
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23
Retroviruses are viruses that have evolved the ability to write their genetic code into a cell's own DNA. The most ancient known lineage of retroviruses, foamy viruses, emerged around 450 million years ago, before animal ...
Evolution
Nov 20, 2025
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24
A new study shows that the effectiveness of current vaccines against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is due to the response of T cells against the disease, rather than the production of antibodies. ...
Veterinary medicine
Nov 17, 2025
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16
A team led by University of Pittsburgh's Graham Hatfull has developed a method to construct bacteriophages with entirely synthetic genetic material, allowing researchers to add and subtract genes at will. The findings open ...
Biotechnology
Nov 10, 2025
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120
New antivirals and vaccines could follow the discovery by Australian researchers of strategies used by viruses to control our cells. Led by Monash University and the University of Melbourne, and published in Nature Communications, ...
Cell & Microbiology
Nov 5, 2025
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61
University of Queensland researchers have captured the first high-resolution images of the yellow fever virus (YFV), a potentially deadly viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes that affects the liver. The research was published ...
Cell & Microbiology
Nov 5, 2025
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21
Human astroviruses are a leading viral cause of the stomach bug—think vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. It often impacts young children and older adults, leading to vicious cycles of sickness and malnutrition, particularly for ...
Cell & Microbiology
Nov 3, 2025
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21
At the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)—Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), biologist Jessie Vandierendonck has been investigating new, alternative treatments to combat bacterial infections using (bacterio)phages, ...
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 31, 2025
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211
Through cutting-edge methods and advanced artificial intelligence analysis, UNC Charlotte researchers leading a multidisciplinary team across four universities have successfully resolved the entire genome of "Phage G," the ...
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 29, 2025
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63
