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.
Disinfecting drinking water prevents the spread of deadly waterborne diseases by killing infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses and parasites. Without disinfection, even clear-looking water can carry pathogens that can ...
Environment
Jan 15, 2026
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In a new study, terrestrial bacteria-infecting viruses were still able to infect their E. coli hosts in near-weightless "microgravity" conditions aboard the International Space Station, but the dynamics of virus-bacteria ...
Astrobiology
Jan 13, 2026
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Newly published interdisciplinary research led by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and University of Maryland shows that viral infection of blue-green algae in the ocean stimulates productivity in the ecosystem and ...
Ecology
Jan 12, 2026
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An international team of scientists has analyzed the ongoing colonization by two retroviruses of the germline of koalas and resulting deaths from cancer in multi-generational pedigrees of over 100 koalas in US and European ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Jan 12, 2026
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A research team led by Václav Vopálenský and Martin Pospíšek from the Faculty of Science, Charles University, has discovered a surprising way in which the vaccinia virus handles its genetic messages.
Cell & Microbiology
Jan 12, 2026
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Plant viruses pose a serious and ongoing threat to global agriculture in tropical to temperate regions. Among the most damaging are begomoviruses, a group of DNA viruses spread by whiteflies that infect many important food ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Jan 9, 2026
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A virus relies on the host's translation machinery to replicate itself and become infectious. Translation efficiency partially depends on the usage of a codon, or sequence of three nucleotides, that matches the cellular pool ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jan 9, 2026
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Planthoppers and leafhoppers not only feed on rice plants but also act as highly efficient vectors for plant viruses, causing substantial yield losses worldwide. Notably, their persistent ability to evade natural enemies ...
Ecology
Jan 7, 2026
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Across all domains of life, immune defenses foil invading viruses by making it impossible for the viruses to replicate. Most known CRISPR systems target invading pathogens' DNA and chop it up to disable and modify genes, ...
Biotechnology
Jan 7, 2026
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The origin of life on Earth becomes even more fascinating and complex as we peer into the mysterious world of viruses. Said to have existed since living cells first appeared, these microscopic entities differ greatly from ...
Evolution
Jan 7, 2026
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