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.

Method Seeks to Eliminate the Need for Frozen mRNA Vaccines

CEPI has provided funding to a public research university in Belgium to investigate whether a novel vaccine stabilization method could eliminate the need for mRNA vaccines to be stored in frozen storage and enable a quick and expanded response to future outbreaks in as little as 100 days.

14 Mar 2024

Investigating the Antibacterial Effects of T1-Spanin on Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

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13 Mar 2024

NIH Researchers Map Vulnerable Sites on Epstein-Barr Virus gp42 Protein

Studies of interactions between two lab-generated monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and an essential Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) protein have uncovered targets that could be exploited in designing treatments and vaccines for this extremely common virus.

13 Mar 2024

Multiresolution DNA Simulation in Viral Genome Packaging

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign stated in the journal Nature that a computational model of the more than 26 million atoms in a DNA-packed viral capsid broadens the knowledge of virus structure and DNA dynamics, discoveries that potentially open up new research directions and therapeutic targets.

7 Mar 2024

‘Like a PCR Lab in Your Pocket': New Test Strips Raise Game in Gene-Based Diagnostics

Biosensing technology developed by UNSW engineers has made it possible to make portable RAT tests just as accurate as PCR tests carried out in a lab.

7 Mar 2024

Microbial Viruses Found to be Key Players in Methane Cycling and Climate Change

In a new study, scientists have discovered that viruses that infect microbes contribute to climate change by playing a key role in cycling methane, a potent greenhouse gas, through the environment.

1 Mar 2024

Researchers Create Groundbreaking RNA and DNA Solutions to Shield Plants from Viral Attacks

Customized RNA or DNA molecules have been shown to effectively combat viral infections in plants, as demonstrated in a recent study conducted by Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

1 Mar 2024

Genomic Study Warns of H5N1 Adaptation to Marine Mammals

The highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 has adapted to spread between birds and marine mammals, posing an immediate threat to wildlife conservation, according to a study from the University of California, Davis, and the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) in Argentina.

29 Feb 2024

Research Reveals Conserved Neutralizing Epitope in Herpesvirus gB Protein

Human herpesviruses comprise the alpha, beta, and gamma subfamilies and are a widely prevalent group of DNA-enveloped viruses, capable of establishing lifelong latent infections in humans and causing various diseases.

27 Feb 2024

Gut Microbial Metabolite Linked to Increased Thrombosis Risk in COVID-19 Patients

A gut microbial metabolite called 2-methylbutyrylcarnitine (2MBC) plays a role in exacerbating thrombosis -- the formation of blood clots – researchers report February 23rd in the journal Cell Metabolism.

26 Feb 2024

Retrotransposon-Based PRINT Technique Holds Potential for Precise Gene Insertion

The recent approval of a CRISPR-Cas9 therapy for sickle cell disease demonstrates that gene editing tools can do a superb job knocking out genes to cure hereditary disease.

22 Feb 2024

Overlooked Sequence in Immunology Protein Holds Promise for New Autoimmune Therapies

Our immune system is remarkably powerful. It quickly assembles teams of cells to eliminate threats inside our bodies.

22 Feb 2024

The Promise of siRNA Nanomedicine for HIV Treatment

Society learned about the usefulness of mRNA during the COVID-19 pandemic when scientists and medical professionals leveraged its power to deliver a vaccine for the virus within a year.

21 Feb 2024

Unraveling Lenacapavir's Impact on the HIV Life Cycle

A new anti-retroviral medication for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections was licensed by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Union just over a year ago.

14 Feb 2024

The Potential of Monoclonal Antibodies for Neonatal Herpes

The results of a recent study led by the Geisel School of Medicine and Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth, and published in Cell Reports Medicine, provide new information about the role that antibodies play in preventing herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections.

13 Feb 2024