A stretch of viral DNA in the mouse genome gives cells in early-stage embryos the potential to become almost any cell type in ...

CRISPR-Cas9 is a customizable tool that lets scientists cut and insert small pieces of DNA at precise areas along a DNA strand. This lets scientists study genes in a specific, targeted way. (NHGRI via ...

Harvard Medical School researchers have uncovered crucial insights into how an emerging class of antiviral drugs works.

The origin of life on Earth becomes even more fascinating and complex as we peer into the mysterious world of viruses. Said to have existed since living cells first appeared, these microscopic ...

Members of a new class of antivirals are being tested in U.S. clinical trials, and one has gained approval in Japan, but how these emerging drugs work is mostly unknown. Abraham and colleagues sought ...

Researchers use cryo-EM and optical tweezers to investigate how an antiviral interacts with the herpes simplex virus.

Ushikuvirus is a newly identified giant virus that infects amoebas, adding to a growing group of oversized viruses that scientists believe may have played an important role in the emergence of complex ...

The DNA packed inside every human cell contains instructions for life, written in billions of letters of genetic code. Every time a cell divides, the complete code, divided among 46 chromosomes, must ...

Single-cell analysis helps uncover how the BK virus replicates, opening the door to new drug targets. BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) is a major cause of kidney transplant failure. Without a complete ...