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.
Cells have evolved ingenious ways to defend themselves from viral attack. Research from The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute sheds light on one of their sneakier strategies.
Cell & Microbiology
Aug 7, 2025
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16
A team of researchers from the Spanish National Research Council has made a significant advance in plant biotechnology by developing a new method for silencing genes. The novel technique uses ultra-short ribonucleic acid ...
Biotechnology
Aug 6, 2025
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69
Scientists have discovered a previously unknown virus in farmed Pacific oysters during a mass die-off in B.C., Canada. The discovery serves as a reminder that growers should exercise caution when moving young oysters internationally ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Aug 4, 2025
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59
Viruses in the cold waters of the Arctic are strongly seasonal and are also detected in the Antarctic. This surprising discovery comes from a multi-year time-series study led by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research ...
Ecology
Jul 31, 2025
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24
New research by the University of Sydney offers important insights into how and when new coronavirus variants arise in bats.
Ecology
Jul 21, 2025
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33
Wastewater surveillance became a popular choice among public health officials looking to track rapid virus mutations and spread patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic. But what if there was a way to detect emerging viruses ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Jul 21, 2025
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29
Researchers from Cornell and Northwestern universities have developed a rapid, cell-free method for building nanoparticle vaccines that mimic viruses at the molecular level, offering a powerful new tool for responding to ...
Bio & Medicine
Jul 18, 2025
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35
Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is a devastating illness that impacts cloven-hoofed animals like cows and pigs. It was eradicated in the United States in 1929, and, thanks to strict prevention measures, there has not been another ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 15, 2025
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26
A new study by researchers at Bar-Ilan University has uncovered that certain ocean viruses—specifically RNA viruses—may disrupt how carbon and nutrients are recycled in the ocean, potentially altering the global carbon cycle.
Ecology
Jul 15, 2025
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34
A new microchip invented by Scripps Research scientists can reveal how a person's antibodies interact with viruses—using just a drop of blood. The technology offers researchers faster, clearer insights that could help accelerate ...
Biotechnology
Jul 11, 2025
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