Imaging techniques show phages in unprecedented detail

Researchers at Pitt have produced the most detailed image to date of a bacteriophage–phage for short–that has allowed them to see for the first time the structural makeup of the part of the phage that directly attaches ...

How HIV cracks the lock to the cell nucleus

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) targets important cells of our immune system, making infected individuals more vulnerable to diseases and infections. Once inside human cells, HIV integrates the viral genome into ...

How HIV smuggles its genetic material into the cell nucleus

Each year, about 1 million individuals worldwide become infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. To replicate and spread the infection, the virus must smuggle its genetic material into the cell nucleus and integrate ...

HPV discovery yields breakthrough in understanding protein activity

A new study led by Yale scientists shows that the activity of a portion of a human papillomavirus (HPV) protein does not depend on its amino acid sequence or composition. This discovery challenges the widely held belief that ...

A step on the way to better therapies against viruses

Most cells can defend themselves against viruses after they have been activated by the body's own messenger substances (interferons). This happens with the help of proteins that recognize invading virus components and interfere ...

Supercomputing helps reveal weaknesses in HIV-1 virus

Much remains to be discovered on how the HIV-1 virus infects our cells. Scientists know that it slips past the defenses of our immune system, entering white blood cells to deliver its genetic payload and hijack the cell's ...

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