How do viruses mutate and jump species?

Viruses are little more than parasitic fragments of RNA or DNA. Despite this, they are astonishingly abundant in number and genetic diversity. We don't know how many virus species there are, but there could be trillions.

Are bats to blame for the coronavirus crisis?

Horseshoe bats in China are a natural wildlife reservoir of SARS-like coronaviruses. Some health experts think wildlife markets—specifically in Wuhan, China—led to the spillover of the new coronavirus into human populations. ...

Ants or plants? Evolutionary diversification factors of aphids

Plant-feeding insect aphids are thought to have diversified by shifting their host plants to other closely related plant species. However, the aphid Stomaphis established not only association with host plants but also mutualistic ...

Fungal pathogens tap human iron stores to survive immunity

Candida species, the most prevalent opportunistic human fungal pathogens, affect severely immunocompromized individuals, and can cause severe invasive infections. The steep increase in infections by multidrug-resistant Candida ...

Genomic fluke close-up

Parasitic flukes have been a leading source of food-borne infections, sparking fear and wreaking havoc on human public health, and contributed to more than 3 billion in animal agricultural losses per year in the U.S. alone.

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