Researchers have discovered the inner workings of the molecular motor that packages genetic material into double-stranded DNA viruses. The advance provides insight into a critical step in the reproduction cycle of viruses such as pox, herpes, and adenoviruses. It could also inspire researchers to create microscopic machines based on naturally occurring motors. The U.S. National...
Tag: <span>viral DNA</span>
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Weird viral DNA spills secrets to biologists
Ewen Callaway Bacteriophage viruses — seen attacking an E. coli cell in this computer illustration — can have exotic chemistries in their DNA.Credit: Maurizio De Angelis/Science Photo Library ‘Alien’ genomes can be found on Earth. Some viruses that infect bacteria use an alternative genetic alphabet that’s distinct from the code used by nearly all other organisms —...