Virus News and Research

RSS

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.

Mapping Auxiliary Metabolic Genes in Ocean Viruses

The microbes that cycle nutrients in the ocean don't do the work on their own – the viruses that infect them also influence the process.

21 Oct 2024

Unveiling a New Cellular Phase for Protein Compartmentalization

Classical mixture theory, which takes into account the percentage corresponding to each constituent as well as the interactions among constituents, can be used to model a system made up of two substances in physics.

14 Oct 2024

New Discovery Reveals How MX Protein Traps HIV and Herpes Viruses

A group of researchers led by Xavier Saelens and Sven Eyckerman at the VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology discovered how a protein linked to the human immune system wards off HIV-1 and herpes simplex virus-1 by assembling structures in the cell that lure in these viruses and then trap them or even take them apart.

11 Oct 2024

AI Uncovers Over 160000 New RNA Virus Species

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been used to reveal details of a diverse and fundamental branch of life living right under our feet and in every corner of the globe.

10 Oct 2024

Researchers Develop Highly Selective SARS-CoV-2 Mpro Inhibitors

New research from The Wistar Institute's Salvino lab -; led by professor Joseph Salvino, Ph.D. -; has identified a novel series of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors that may lead to potential new COVID-19 treatments that, according to preclinical testing, effectively inhibits COVID-19 and synergizes with existing anti-COVID therapies.

9 Oct 2024

Mapping the Complex Structure and Function of CRISPR-Cas Protein Scissors

CRISPR-Cas systems help to protect bacteria from viruses. Several different types of CRISPR-Cas defense systems are found in bacteria, which differ in their composition and functions.

3 Oct 2024

Understanding the Impact of Natural Flu Infections on Vaccine Effectiveness

Researchers from the University of Georgia discovered in a recent study supported by the National Institutes of Health that the effectiveness of upcoming influenza vaccinations is significantly influenced by the body's innate immunity from prior flu episodes.

1 Oct 2024

New Tool START Enables Precision Mapping of Neuronal Connectivity

Scientists at the Salk Institute are unveiling a new brain-mapping neurotechnology called Single Transcriptome Assisted Rabies Tracing (START). The cutting-edge tool combines two advanced technologies-;monosynaptic rabies virus tracing and single-cell transcriptomics-;to map the brain's intricate neuronal connections with unparalleled precision.

1 Oct 2024

New Gene Editing Tool Shows Promise for Treating Diseases

Bacterial and archaeal CRISPR-Cas systems, comprising protein and RNA components, were initially developed as a natural defense mechanism against invading viruses.

24 Sep 2024

Study Finds How Plants Limit Viral Spread to Progeny with RNA Interference

Scientists have learned how plants keep viruses from being passed to their offspring, a finding that could ensure healthier crops.

20 Sep 2024

New Strategies to Block Insect-Borne Virus Transmission

Viruses are master parasites that have evolved to infect a variety of host species.

11 Sep 2024

Study Proposes Using Virus-Based Vectors to Enhance Crop Performance

Humans, livestock and companion animals benefit from virus-based vaccines and gene therapies, but crops do not.

11 Sep 2024

Monoclonal Antibody SC27 Shows Broad Effectiveness Against SARS-CoV-2 Variants

A monoclonal antibody appears effective at neutralizing the numerous variants of SARS-CoV-2, as well as related viruses in animals that could pose a threat if they were to begin spreading in people.

10 Sep 2024

SGLT-2 Inhibitors May Lower Dementia Risk in Type 2 Diabetes Patients, Study Finds

A study reveals SGLT-2 inhibitors significantly reduce dementia risk in type 2 diabetes patients, with effects strengthening over longer treatment durations.

9 Sep 2024

Breakthrough Nanoparticle Therapy Boosts Immune Response Against Aggressive Pancreatic Cancer

Innovative use of lipid nanoparticles to deliver immune agonists shows promise in activating anti-tumor immunity in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma models.

9 Sep 2024

LSTM Research Identifies 91 RNA Viruses in Parasitic Worms

New research shows that parasitic nematodes, responsible for infecting more than a billion people globally, carry viruses that may solve the puzzle of why some cause serious diseases.

5 Sep 2024

Atypical B Cells Play a Central Role in COVID-19 Vaccine Response

Vaccines function by strengthening defenses against viruses that invade human bodies. Vaccination against COVID-19 teaches the human immune system's specialized B cells how to identify the virus.

5 Sep 2024

Cryo-EM Study Sheds Light on HSV Drug Resistance Mechanisms Through Protein Movement

All organisms -; from fungi to mammals -; have the capacity to evolve and adapt to their environments. But viruses are master shapeshifters with an ability to mutate greater than any other organism. As a result, they can evade treatments or acquire resistance to once-effective antiviral medications.

28 Aug 2024

Gut Microbiota Modulates Rotavirus Vaccine Effectiveness

Scientists at Georgia State University's Institute for Biomedical Sciences have shown that some gut flora can reduce the effectiveness of the rotavirus vaccine.

27 Aug 2024