Virology News
November 5, 2025
Top Headlines
Nov. 4, 2025 — Researchers have, for the first time, estimated how quickly E. coli bacteria can spread between people — and one strain moves as fast as swine flu. Using genomic data from the UK and Norway, scientists modeled bacterial transmission rates and ...
Nov. 3, 2025 — Penn State scientists uncovered an ancient bacterial defense where dormant viral DNA helps bacteria fight new viral threats. The enzyme PinQ flips bacterial genes to create protective proteins that block infection. Understanding this mechanism could ...
Nov. 2, 2025 — Researchers discovered that soil microbes in Kansas carry drought “memories” that affect how plants grow and survive. Native plants showed stronger responses to these microbial legacies than crops like corn, hinting at co-evolution over time. ...
Oct. 27, 2025 — A team of researchers has developed a floral-scented fungus that tricks mosquitoes into approaching and dying. The fungus emits longifolene, a natural scent that irresistibly draws them in. It’s harmless to humans, inexpensive to produce, and ...
Oct. 18, 2025 — EMBL researchers created SDR-seq, a next-generation tool that decodes both DNA and RNA from the same cell. It finally opens access to non-coding regions, where most disease-associated genetic variants lie. By revealing how these variants affect gene ...
Sep. 23, 2025 — Researchers have shown that stress and retrovirus levels are tightly linked to disease in koalas. High KoRV loads make koalas more vulnerable to chlamydia, worsening epidemics in stressed populations. Protecting habitats, careful breeding, and ...
Sep. 20, 2025 — Insects are essential for ecosystems, but mounting evidence suggests many populations are collapsing under modern pressures. A new study used cutting-edge genomic techniques on museum specimens to track centuries of ant biodiversity across Fiji. The ...
Sep. 15, 2025 — Researchers discovered two new parasitic wasp species living in the U.S., tracing their origins back to Europe and uncovering clues about how they spread. Their arrival raises fresh questions about biodiversity, ecological risks, and the role of ...
Aug. 17, 2025 — Scientists have engineered a groundbreaking cancer treatment that uses bacteria to smuggle viruses directly into tumors, bypassing the immune system and delivering a powerful one-two punch against cancer cells. The bacteria act like Trojan horses, ...
Aug. 12, 2025 — Scientists have discovered a parasite that can sneak into your skin without you feeling a thing. The worm, Schistosoma mansoni, has evolved a way to switch off the body’s pain and itch signals, letting it invade undetected. By blocking certain ...
Aug. 4, 2025 — An intriguing new study reveals that over 80% of parasites found in the ancient poo of New Zealand’s endangered kākāpō have vanished, even though the bird itself is still hanging on. Researchers discovered this dramatic parasite decline by ...
July 21, 2025 — What scientists once dismissed as junk DNA may actually be some of the most powerful code in our genome. A new international study reveals that ancient viral DNA buried in our genes plays an active role in controlling how other genes are turned on ...
Latest Headlines
updated 1:45pm EST
Nov. 5, 2025 — Researchers discovered fossil evidence showing that spionid worms, parasites of modern oysters, were already infecting bivalves 480 million years ago. High-resolution scans revealed their distinctive ...
Nov. 2, 2025 — On the Canary Islands, scientists discovered that the spider Dysdera tilosensis has halved its genome size in just a few million years—defying traditional evolutionary theories that predict larger, ...
Oct. 24, 2025 — MIT researchers discovered that the genome’s 3D structure doesn’t vanish during cell division as previously thought. Instead, tiny loops called microcompartments remain (and even strengthen) ...
Oct. 6, 2025 — Birds across the globe independently evolved a shared warning call against parasites, blending instinct and learning in a remarkable evolutionary pattern. The finding offers a rare glimpse into how ...
Sep. 14, 2025 — Sweetpotato, a critical food crop for millions, has finally had its genetic code fully decoded after decades of mystery. Scientists unraveled its extraordinarily complex genome of six chromosome ...
Sep. 13, 2025 — Not all barnacles just sit on rocks and ships. Some invade crabs, growing like a parasitic root system that hijacks their bodies. A mysterious group called y-larvae has baffled scientists for over a ...
Aug. 30, 2025 — Spicomellus afer, a newly analyzed Jurassic ankylosaur from Morocco, is overturning scientists’ understanding of dinosaur evolution. Unlike any other known creature, it carried a collar of ...
Aug. 27, 2025 — Deep beneath the Pacific Ocean, a bright yellow worm thrives where no other animals dare, in toxic hydrothermal vents saturated with arsenic and ...
Aug. 20, 2025 — Two independent research teams have unveiled near-complete reference genomes of the central bearded dragon, a reptile with the rare ability to change sex depending on both chromosomes and nest ...
July 12, 2025 — A cat named Pepper has once again helped scientists discover a new virus—this time a mysterious orthoreovirus found in a shrew. Researchers from the University of Florida, including virologist John ...
Earlier Headlines
July 7, 2025 — Scientists have decoded the sea spider’s genome for the first time, revealing how its strangely shaped body—with organs in its legs and barely any abdomen—may be tied to a missing gene. The ...
July 4, 2025 — Scientists have discovered that the bacteria behind Lyme disease and anaplasmosis have a sneaky way of surviving inside ticks—they hijack the tick’s own cell functions to steal cholesterol they ...
June 25, 2025 — Two newly discovered viruses lurking in bats are dangerously similar to Nipah and Hendra, both of which have caused deadly outbreaks in humans. Found in fruit bats near villages, these viruses may ...
June 18, 2025 — New research is shaking up our understanding of evolution by revealing that some species may not evolve gradually at all. Instead, scientists discovered that certain marine worms experienced an ...
June 15, 2025 — Aphid-hunting wasps can reproduce with or without sex, challenging previous assumptions. This unique flexibility could boost sustainable pest control if its hidden drawbacks can be ...
June 6, 2025 — Scientists have uncovered over 200 new giant viruses lurking in ocean waters that not only help shape marine ecosystems but also manipulate photosynthesis in algae. These massive viruses once nearly ...
June 3, 2025 — A new study shows how person-to-person variation in antibody immunity plays a key role in shaping which influenza (flu) strains dominate in a ...
May 30, 2025 — Laboratory could improve crop resilience In a discovery three decades in the making, scientists have acquired detailed knowledge about the internal structures and mode of regulation for a specialized ...
May 29, 2025 — A professor of crop sciences and of plant biology describes research efforts to 'future-proof' the crops that are essential to feeding a hungry world in a changing climate. Long, who has ...
May 29, 2025 — New HIV research shows that small changes in the virus affect how quickly or slowly it replicates and how easily it can reawaken in the body. These insights bring researchers closer to finding ways ...
May 29, 2025 — Scientists analyzed almost 200 cannabis genomes to create the most comprehensive, high-quality, detailed genetic atlas of the plant to date. The atlas reveals unprecedented diversity and complexity ...
May 28, 2025 — A study finds small-scale tree cover in Costa Rica boosts biodiversity while limiting dangerous mosquito ...
May 28, 2025 — Parasitic worms that infect humans are not interbreeding with those that infect cattle as previously thought. This is good news for when it comes to controlling schistosomiasis, a disease caused by ...
May 28, 2025 — A team identified herpes virus saimiri, which infects the T cells of squirrel monkeys, as a source of proteins that activate pathways in T cells that are needed to promote T cell ...
May 27, 2025 — A new study reveals the biological secret to the Zika virus's infectious success: Zika uses host cells' own 'self-care' system of clearing away useless molecules to suppress the ...
May 27, 2025 — In the long battle to create an effective HIV vaccine, scientists have made a major leap forward. A new study shows that a series of vaccines can coax the immune system to produce powerful antibodies ...
May 23, 2025 — The molecular pathways involved in antiviral defenses and counter-defenses in host-pathogen systems remain unclear. Researchers have used Neurospora crassa as a model organism to explore how RNA ...
May 22, 2025 — Researchers have analyzed ancient DNA from Borrelia recurrentis, a type of bacteria that causes relapsing fever, pinpointing when it evolved to spread through lice rather than ticks, and how it ...
May 22, 2025 — Researchers uncover a notorious cholera strain that contains sophisticated immune systems to fend off viruses, which potentially helped it to fuel a devastating epidemic across Latin ...
May 21, 2025 — Bats are known as natural hosts for highly pathogenic viruses such as MERS- and SARS-related coronaviruses, as well as the Marburg and Nipah viruses. In contrast to the severe and often fatal disease ...
Monday, July 7, 2025
Friday, July 4, 2025
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Sunday, June 15, 2025
Friday, June 6, 2025
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Friday, May 30, 2025
Thursday, May 29, 2025
- 'Future-Proofing' Crops Will Require Urgent, Consistent Effort
- HIV Discovery Could Open Door to Long-Sought Cure
- Cannabis Pangenome Reveals Potential for Medicinal and Industrial Use
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
- Trees Vs. Disease: Tree Cover Reduces Mosquito-Borne Health Risk
- Genetic Deep Dive Dispels Fear of Hybrid Worm Threat
- Researchers Engineer a Herpes Virus to Turn on T Cells for Immunotherapy
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
- Zika Virus Uses Cells' 'self-Care' System to Turn Against Host
- HIV Vaccine Study Uncovers Powerful New Antibody Target
Friday, May 23, 2025
Thursday, May 22, 2025
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
- On the Origin (and Fate) of Plants That Never Bloom
- New Research Reveals Puff Adders as an Important Conservation and Rodent Control Solution
- Why Some Viral Infections Appear to Trigger Autoimmune Disease
Monday, May 19, 2025
- Genomic Data Shows Widespread Mpox Transmission in West Africa Prior to 2022 Global Outbreak
- Family of Parasite Proteins Presents New Potential Malaria Treatment Target
Friday, May 16, 2025
Thursday, May 15, 2025
- Two HIV Vaccine Trials Show Proof of Concept for Pathway to Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies
- World's Largest Bat Organoid Platform Paves the Way for Pandemic Preparedness
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
- Yellow Fever Vaccination: How Strong Immune Responses Are Triggered
- Genome of Near-Extinct Northern White Rhino Offers Hope for Reviving the Species
Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Monday, May 12, 2025
- Measles Virus Detected in Houston Wastewater Before Cases Were Reported
- Invasive Salmon, Clams and Seaweed Are Next Threats to Biodiversity in Britain
Friday, May 9, 2025
- Novel, Needle-Free, Live-Attenuated Influenza Vaccines With Broad Protection Against Human and Avian Virus Subtypes
- Researchers Map 7,000-Year-Old Genetic Mutation That Protects Against HIV
- Can Frisky Flies Save Human Lives?
Thursday, May 8, 2025
- Researchers Find New Defense Against Hard-to-Treat Plant Diseases
- Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of a Smallpox Vaccine for Preventing Mpox
- Engineering an Antibody Against Flu With Sticky Staying Power
- Building Vaccines for Future Versions of a Virus
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
- Viruses Under the Super Microscope: How Influenza Viruses Communicate With Cells
- Fewer Parasites in the Indian River Lagoon Signal Big Ecosystem Problems
- Comb Jellies Reveal Ancient Origins of Animal Genome Regulation
Monday, May 5, 2025
- Sampling, Lab Capacity Could Be Weak Links in African Swine Fever Outbreak
- A Fully Automated Tool for Species Tree Inference
- Urban Rats Spread Deadly Bacteria as They Migrate, Study Finds
Friday, May 2, 2025
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
- Once Bitten, Animals Develop Resistance That Shrinks Tick Population
- HIV: Genetic Characteristics Associated With Sustained HIV Remission After Stopping Treatment
Monday, April 28, 2025
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
- How Do You Like Them Apples? Apple Genus Evolution Revealed
- Tackling Parasite Devastating Fish Farmers Around the World
- Study Reveals Gaps in Flu Treatment for High-Risk Adults
Monday, April 21, 2025
- How Bacteria Use Sneaky Chemistry to Disable Plant Defenses
- Immune System Proteins Involved in Severe Parasitic Disease Identified
Friday, April 18, 2025
- Americans Don't Think Bird Flu Is a Threat, Study Suggests
- Disrupting 'communication' With Plants Could Limit Soybean Cyst Nematode Infections
Thursday, April 17, 2025
- European Potato Genome Decoded: Small Gene Pool With Large Differences
- Experimental Bird Flu Vaccine Excels in Animal Models
- Nutrients Strengthen Link Between Precipitation and Plant Growth, Study Finds
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Monday, April 14, 2025
- New Plant Molecule Encourages Plant-Fungi Symbiosis to Improve Crops
- A Mysterious Pathogen: Oropouche Virus More Common in Latin America Than Previously Thought
Friday, April 11, 2025
Thursday, April 10, 2025
- Immune Protein Modification Blocks Viral Replication, Heart Inflammation
- Impact of Processing on Biochemical Composition of Plant-Based Products Revealed
- Dogs Could Help Predict Valley Fever Spread in Humans
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
- Further Translation of the Language of the Genome
- Protein Necessary for Fruit Fly Fertility
- From Bacterial Immunity to Plant Sex
- Six Ape Genomes Sequenced Telomere-to-Telomere
Tuesday, April 8, 2025
- Nasal Spray H5N1 Avian Influenza Vaccine Developed
- Lactic Acid Bacteria Can Improve Plant-Based Dairy Alternatives
- Viral 'backbone' Underlies Variation in Rotavirus Vaccine Effectiveness
Monday, April 7, 2025
Friday, April 4, 2025
- An Antiviral Chewing Gum to Reduce Influenza and Herpes Simplex Virus Transmission
- Researchers Reveal Why Young Plants May Be More Vulnerable to Disease
- How a Small Number of Mutations Can Fuel Outbreaks of Western Equine Encephalitis Virus
- Research Uncovers Hidden Spread of One of the Most Common Hospital-Associated Infections
Thursday, April 3, 2025
- Picky Eaters by Day, Buffet by Night: Butterfly, Moth Diets Sync to Plant Aromas
- Corpse Flowers Are Threatened by Spotty Recordkeeping
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
- Sensing Sickness: New Method for Boosting Bee Health
- Plant Doctor: An AI System That Watches Over Urban Trees Without Touching a Leaf
- Study Strengthens Link Between Shingles Vaccine and Lower Dementia Risk
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Monday, March 31, 2025
- New Warnings of a 'Butterfly Effect' -- In Reverse
- Machine Learning Model to Predict Virus Reservoirs
Friday, March 28, 2025
Thursday, March 27, 2025
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
- How Zika Virus Knocks out Our Immune Defenses
- 'Low-Sugar' Vaccine Can Provide Broad Immunity Against Coronavirus Variants
- Growing Body of Evidence Links HPV With Heart Disease