The smallpox virus appears to have been with humanity for millennia before a global vaccination drive wiped it out. Current genome research suggests how smallpox spread and where it came from.
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Articles on Viral evolution
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The US and its allies are demanding answers over how COVID-19 became a pandemic. But instead of pointing fingers at China, the inquiry should focus on scientific clues to help us thwart future disasters.
Every time the virus copies itself it makes mistakes, creating a trail that researchers can use to build a family tree with information about where it's traveled, and when.
A four-year-old female Malayan tiger has tested positive for COVID-19, with six other tigers and lions showing symptoms. It's the first known case of a 'wild' animal catching the disease.
A core idea in molecular biology is that one gene codes for one protein. Now biologists have found an example of a gene that yields two forms of a protein – enabling it to evolve new functionality.
One big challenge for gene therapies is delivering DNA or RNA safely to cells inside patients' bodies. New nanoparticles could be an improvement over the current standard – repurposed viruses.
New genetic technologies are letting us look at flu evolution right where it starts: within individual people, while they're sick.
Top contributors
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Professor of Medicine, Monash University
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Professor of Bioethics & Medicine, Sydney Health Ethics, Haematologist/BMT Physician, Royal North Shore Hospital and Director, Praxis Australia, University of Sydney
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Adjunct Associate Professor, Murdoch University
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Associate Member, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Affiliate Associate Professor of Genome Sciences and Microbiology, University of Washington
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Doctoral Student in Biochemistry, University of Washington
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Doctoral Student in Genome Sciences, University of Washington
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Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego
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Assistant Teaching Professor, University of California San Diego
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Professor Emerita of Biology, Indiana University
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Professor of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina
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PhD Student in Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina
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Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
