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.

Environmental Nanoplastics Linked to Increased Foodborne Virus Severity

There are nanoplastics everywhere. These particles are found in water, food, and bodies; they are so small that they can build up on bacteria and be absorbed by plant roots.

20 May 2025

Novel Bacterial Immune Weapon that Starves Viral Invaders

The discovery of Cat1 reveals how CARF effectors use complex structures to inhibit viral replication, advancing our understanding of bacterial immune responses.

19 May 2025

Viral circRNAs Sponge Up Host miRNAs to Weaken Immune Response

In a significant breakthrough, researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism that allows the human immunodeficiency type 1 virus (HIV-1) to evade the body’s natural defenses, thereby facilitating its survival and replication.

14 May 2025

Millennia-Old Mutation Provides Clues to Modern HIV Immunity

What connections exist between a millennia-old human from the Black Sea region and contemporary HIV medicine?

12 May 2025

AI Designs Synthetic DNA to Control Gene Expression in Mammalian Cells

A study published today in the journal Cell marks the first reported instance of generative AI designing synthetic molecules that can successfully control gene expression in healthy mammalian cells.

10 May 2025

Scientists Use AI to Predict Future Viruses and Design Better Vaccines

Effective vaccines dramatically changed the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, preventing illness, reducing disease severity, and saving millions of lives.

10 May 2025

Vaccines of the Future: Harnessing the Immune System for Long-Lasting Protection

WEHI scientists have uncovered a promising new way to enhance the effectiveness of vaccines by tapping into the potential of a specific type of immune cell, opening the door to long-lasting vaccines for viruses and enhanced cancer therapies.

8 May 2025

Giant Virus Isolation Underscores the Understudied World of Microbes

Researchers at the Nanoscience Center of the University of Jyväskylä have achieved a first in Finland by isolating a giant virus, which they have named Jyvaskylavirus.

17 Apr 2025

ORNL Scientists Develop Fluorescent Biosensor to Track RNA in Plants

Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a first-ever method of detecting ribonucleic acid, or RNA, inside plant cells using a technique that results in a visible fluorescent signal.

16 Apr 2025

Breakthrough Delivery System Advances CRISPR-Based Treatments

A research team from Helmholtz Munich and the Technical University of Munich has developed an advanced delivery system that transports gene-editing tools based on the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing system into living cells with significantly greater efficiency than before.

10 Apr 2025

Carbon Dot-Based Fluorosensor Shows Superior Performance in Enterovirus RNA Detection

Scientists from the University of Jyväskylä's Nanoscience Center in Finland have introduced a novel, label-free ratiometric fluorosensor intended for the sensitive and specific detection of enteroviral RNA.

7 Apr 2025

Antibiotic Resistance Through Bacterial Genes Inhibiting Viral Reproduction

Antibiotic resistance is a global health threat that could supplant cancer mortality within a few decades. Researchers at Umeå University, Sweden, found that the emergence of resistance can be explained by how bacteria develop defenses against virus infection.

7 Apr 2025