Related topics: bacteria

New method captures early viral-host protein interactions

More than 70% of all viruses known to cause human disease, including the one that causes COVID-19, are RNA viruses. They invade the body by hijacking the internal machinery of cells. Yet little is known about how viral RNA ...

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. ...

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 ...

Study reveals how mucus tames microbes

More than 200 square meters of our bodies—including the digestive tract, lungs, and urinary tract—are lined with mucus. In recent years, scientists have found some evidence that mucus is not just a physical barrier that ...

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