Giant viruses are so named because of the size of their genome. (Tumeggy/Science Photo Library/Getty Images) Researchers have ...

In evolutionary biology, all life on Earth is theoretically part of a single phylogenetic tree, indicating common ancestry.

When a pathogen like a dangerous virus invades the human body, it usually has to enter human cells to cause an illness. Influenza has to latch onto a receptor on the surface of a human cell so it can ...

Persistent viral infections pose a unique challenge to the immune system. Prolonged antigen exposure drives T cells into a state of exhaustion — a ...

When viruses invade a plant, you might expect an all-out immune war. But new research published in Science shows that, much like in humans, too strong an immune response can actually do more harm than ...

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a rare but serious brain infection. It gradually destroys brain tissue and often leads to death within a few weeks. It is triggered by human ...

A giant virus discovered in Japan is adding fuel to the provocative idea that viruses helped create complex life. Named ushikuvirus, it infects amoebae and shows unique traits that connect different ...

Although bioprocessors employ cell cultures to develop new treatments for viral infections, viral contamination can stymy any cell culture-based process, including the development of most any ...