Viruses are acellular infectious agents that depend entirely on host cellular machinery for replication and are therefore studied as a central topic in microbiology, virology, and infectious disease research. They consist minimally of a nucleic acid genome (DNA or RNA, single- or double-stranded, linear or circular) enclosed in a protein capsid, and in many cases a host-derived lipid envelope containing viral glycoproteins. Viral classification and research focus on genome organization, replication strategies, host range, tropism, mechanisms of cell entry and egress, immune evasion, and evolutionary dynamics, as well as their roles in pathogenesis, horizontal gene transfer, and biotechnology applications such as vectors and phage therapy.
Researchers at Aarhus University have developed a microscopic DNA needle that can deliver molecules directly into cells—and, crucially, help make sure they remain active once they get there. That addresses a major problem ...
Bio & Medicine
Apr 1, 2026
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101
In a demonstration that could help pave the way for gene therapies with fewer side effects, several human cell types have been genetically modified with protein nanoparticles designed at University of Michigan Engineering ...
Bio & Medicine
Mar 30, 2026
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107
In the game of survival, you can't always go it alone. Tiny algae living in the harsh conditions of the world's polar oceans appear to be better able to withstand the cold, high salinity, and extreme UV radiation, thanks ...
Antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella poses severe challenges to global food safety and public health. Researchers from China have now identified a novel bacteriophage that offers a highly promising "green" biocontrol solution ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 26, 2026
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9
Wild bumblebees serve as key hosts for acute bee paralysis virus. While the virus appears to cause little harm to bumblebees, infection is usually fatal to honeybees. Until now, it was assumed that honeybees were the key ...
Ecology
Mar 24, 2026
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420
With AI, it's now possible for researchers to predict the three-dimensional structures of proteins directly from their amino-acid sequences. But what biologists really want to predict, says Columbia biophysicist Hashim Al-Hashimi, ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Mar 21, 2026
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21
The genomes of phages—viruses that infect bacteria—are largely composed of "dark matter": genes that encode proteins whose functions remain unknown. Less than four years ago, a team led by Prof. Rotem Sorek at the Weizmann ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 16, 2026
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13
Timing is critical in diagnosing diseases such as cancer. Researchers within The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign used a historically underappreciated tiny powerhouse to detect ...
Bio & Medicine
Mar 16, 2026
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59
Two locations have been identified as the most likely entry points into Australia for a disease that poses a huge risk to the beef and dairy industries. A University of Queensland-led team has built the first geospatial model ...
Veterinary medicine
Mar 13, 2026
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21
Genome editing-based therapies typically aim to treat disease by correcting underlying genetic mutations in patient's cells. However, most genetic disorders are caused by dozens or even thousands of unique mutations spread ...
Biotechnology
Mar 11, 2026
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16
