In the vast and often unseen world of microscopic life, a recent discovery may force scientists to rethink what it means to be alive. Nestled inside a tiny plankton cell, researchers found a ...

The so-called “circle of life” dictates that if a living thing exists, it’s probably food for something else. Viruses, however, have historically managed to escape this unofficial rule. Although ...

By Nancy Lapid (Reuters) -Tiny viruses that only infect and kill bacteria can help treat deadly antibiotic-resistant ...

Using genomics, evolutionary biologists test several hypotheses on the origin of viruses. New evidence suggests they may have ...

Today's high-tech electronics and green energy technologies would not function without rare earth elements (REEs). These 17 ...

When some bacteria manage to escape being killed by a virus, the microbes end up hamstringing themselves. And that could be useful in the fight to treat infections. “We’re kind of expecting phage ...

Over a single day, in the placid waters of a single pond, a million virus particles might enter a single-celled organism known for the minuscule hairs, or cilia, that propel it through those waters.

In a step forward for genetic engineering and synthetic biology, researchers have modified a strain of Escherichia coli bacteria to be immune to natural viral infections while also minimizing the ...

The most common organism in the world's oceans -- and possibly the whole planet -- harbors a virus in its DNA. This virus may have helped it survive and outcompete other organisms. The most common ...

A new study finds that viruses share some genes exclusively with cells that are not their hosts. The study adds to the evidence that viruses swap genes with a variety of cellular organisms and are ...

DR. BURNET'S monograph is a welcome contribution to the literature on the viruses. A subject so wide and so rapidly changing requires periodic summarization so that new concepts may be made known to ...