Researchers have identified a previously unknown giant virus that may offer new insight into how complex life first evolved.

The origin of life on Earth becomes even more fascinating and complex as we peer into the mysterious world of viruses.

A virus may be microscopic, but it contains thousands of nucleic acid bases strategically packaged into a protein shell. Knowing how the virus organizes these vast information stores in a compact ...

In cells, ribosomes (shown as grey blobs) read RNA messages and convert the information into proteins. The researchers hypothesize that during infection, one component of the ribosome, eL40 (green ...

As conceived by Charles Darwin in the 1800s, evolution is a slow, gradual process during which species adaptations are inherited incrementally over generations. However, today biologists can see how ...

There is an ongoing debate as to whether or not viruses are considered to be a life form. The question remains unanswered as the identity of viruses as a living form is dependent on arbitrary measures ...