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.
A new study from the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS) in London, UK reveals how ancient viral DNA once written off as "junk" plays a crucial role in the earliest moments of life. The research, published in Science ...
Cell & Microbiology
Dec 19, 2025
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Marine bacteria are key to determining whether carbon is recycled near the ocean surface or transported to deeper waters, but many operate in constant threat of being infected by viruses called phages, and mutate to fend ...
Ecology
Dec 19, 2025
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29
Filoviruses get their name from the Latin word "filum," meaning thread—a reference to their long, filamentous shape. This virus family contains some of the most dangerous pathogens known to science, including Ebola, Sudan, ...
Bio & Medicine
Dec 19, 2025
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35
Human norovirus and adenovirus, two major causes of viral gastroenteritis, can persist for extended periods inside free-living amoebas that are common in natural and engineered water systems. A newly published study shows ...
Ecology
Dec 18, 2025
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17
Investigators from the laboratory of Derek Walsh, Ph.D., professor of Microbiology-Immunology, have discovered how human cytomegalovirus rewires intracellular mechanisms to control the movement of the cell nucleus, promoting ...
Cell & Microbiology
Dec 18, 2025
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As antibiotic-resistant infections rise and are projected to cause up to 10 million deaths per year by 2050, scientists are looking to bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, as an alternative.
Cell & Microbiology
Dec 18, 2025
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27
Viruses and bacteria get a bad rap around the world, but now Flinders University experts are identifying the positive "upside" of powerful benefits that microbes have on human health.
Cell & Microbiology
Dec 16, 2025
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Research relies on replication: Different teams need to make the same conclusion multiple times before a consensus is reached and the finding can be built upon or applied. More may rest on the tools researchers use than previously ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Dec 15, 2025
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11
Washington State University researchers have found a way to modulate a common virus protein to prevent viruses from entering cells where it can cause illness, a discovery that could someday lead to new antiviral treatments.
Bio & Medicine
Dec 15, 2025
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20
Viruses are typically described as tiny, perfectly geometric shells that pack genetic material with mathematical precision, but new research led by scientists at Penn State reveals a deliberate imbalance in their shape that ...
Cell & Microbiology
Dec 12, 2025
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