Virus News and Research

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A virus is a microscopic infectious agent that can reproduce only inside a host cell. Viruses infect all types of organisms: from animals and plants, to bacteria and archaea. Since the initial discovery of tobacco mosaic virus by Martinus Beijerinck in 1898, more than 5,000 types of virus have been described in detail, although most types of virus remain undiscovered. Viruses are ubiquitous, as they are found in almost every ecosystem on Earth, and are the most abundant type of biological entity on the planet. The study of viruses is known as virology, and is a branch of microbiology.

Study develops a novel approach to fight against bunyaviruses

A study published recently in eLife reports that synthetic antibodies developed with bacterial superglue have the potential to protect against deadly viruses.

29 Apr 2020

Study shows how DNA mimic protein helps phages to attack their victims

A research team from the Severinov Laboratory at Skoltech, together with their collaborators from Israel and Switzerland, has analyzed a bacterial BREX defense mechanism that was poorly studied to date.

29 Apr 2020

Father's Toxoplasma infection may be transmitted to subsequent generations

Australian researchers have revealed for the first time that males infected with the Toxoplasma parasite can impact their offspring's brain health and behavior.

28 Apr 2020

Innovative antibody test developed for COVID-19 pandemic

Many tests have been formulated for identifying the genetic material of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that is responsible for causing the COVID-19 pandemic.

27 Apr 2020

Study identifies role of interferon-stimulated genes in defense against hepatitis C viruses

The immune system responds immediately when a virus enters the cell, producing interferon—the signaling protein.

27 Apr 2020

Two nose cells may contribute to COVID-19 pandemic

Scientists have discovered two specific types of cells in the nose that are believed to be the initial infection points for COVID-19 coronavirus.

27 Apr 2020

Study develops a memory-intensive approach to visualize genomes

At Ulm University in Germany, a new method has been devised for developing pan-genome subgraphs at various granularities without the need to wait several hours or days for the software to process the complete genome.

27 Apr 2020

Pancreatic tumors hijack basic cell mechanism for immune evasion

Pancreatic cancer cells use a normal waste removal process to hide tags on their surfaces that would otherwise let the immune system destroy them, a new study finds. Published online April 22 in Nature, the study results help to answer a longstanding question: why are pancreatic cancers so resistant to immunotherapies, which use the body's own immune defenses to fight cancer?

24 Apr 2020

AI accelerates drug discovery to fight COVID-19

A global race is underway to discover a vaccine, drug, or combination of treatments that can disrupt the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes the COVID-19 disease, and prevent widespread deaths.

24 Apr 2020

Developing novel compounds that inhibit SARS-CoV-2 main protease

A research team from China has now created two novel compounds that block the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro).

23 Apr 2020

Preventing viral infections by protein shell misassembly

A study published recently in eLife reports new understanding of conditions that govern self-assembly in the protective shell of viruses.

23 Apr 2020

Identifying Salmonella

AZoLifeSciences speaks to Dr. Silin Tang about her research into the importance of identifying salmonella in food.

23 Apr 2020

New database of 14,000 known macrolactones could aid future drug discovery

Researchers from North Carolina State University and Collaborations Pharmaceuticals have created a free-to-use database of 14,000 known macrolactones - large molecules used in drug development - which contains information about the molecular characteristics, chemical diversity and biological activities of this structural class.

22 Apr 2020