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"New research has uncovered a social world of viruses full of cheating, cooperation and other intrigues ... quantamagazine.org/viruses-finallโฆ
๐ฉ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ
"New research has uncovered a social world of viruses full of cheating, cooperation and other intrigues ... quantamagazine.org/viruses-finallโฆ
2) ...suggesting that viruses make sense only as members of a community."
Traditionally, viruses were thought of as solitary particles that could only replicate by infecting cells. But recent research shows viruses have complex social behaviors.
Traditionally, viruses were thought of as solitary particles that could only replicate by infecting cells. But recent research shows viruses have complex social behaviors.
3) A new field called "sociovirology" studies the social lives of viruses, including cheating, cooperation and other interactions between viruses.
Viruses don't have social lives like humans or other species, but they do engage in social behaviors within cells and hosts.
Viruses don't have social lives like humans or other species, but they do engage in social behaviors within cells and hosts.
4) Examples of viral social behaviors include competing with each other for limited resources within a cell, cooperating to evade host immune responses, and cheating by freeloading off the efforts of other viruses.
5) Sociovirology is still a young field, but its proponents believe understanding viral social lives could help explain diseases like influenza that don't make sense if viruses are viewed in isolation. It may also provide new strategies for combating viral diseases.
6) The view of viruses as solitary particles was limiting and blinded scientists to their potential complex social behaviors. This new perspective is reshape scientists' understanding of viruses and viral diseases.
7) Some viruses lack genes essential for replication. These are called "incomplete" viruses. Incomplete viruses can infect cells but cannot replicate on their own. They must "cheat" by exploiting the machinery of other viruses in the same cell.
8) If another virus with the necessary genes is present, the incomplete virus can use its polymerase to copy its own genome.
Being shorter, incomplete genomes replicate faster than complete ones when sharing resources. This gives them a sizeable advantage.
Being shorter, incomplete genomes replicate faster than complete ones when sharing resources. This gives them a sizeable advantage.
9) Other cheaters have polymerases but lack genes for protein shells. They wait to sneak their genome into shells produced by other viruses.
Researchers created "super-cheater" flu viruses that lack whole gene segments. These spread faster than normal viruses by cheating.
Researchers created "super-cheater" flu viruses that lack whole gene segments. These spread faster than normal viruses by cheating.
10) Nasal sprays of super-cheaters rapidly reduced flu in infected mice and ferrets. Surprisingly, infected ferrets also transmitted super-cheaters to others.
This raised the possibility that delivering super-cheaters to people could both cure infections and
This raised the possibility that delivering super-cheaters to people could both cure infections and
11) ... and stop disease spread by cheating. However, human trials would be difficult due to altering viruses spread between non-consenting individuals.
Thanks for reading ๐
Thanks for reading ๐
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