Virology
Scientists film influenza viruses ‘surfing’ into human cells in real time
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An international team led by ETH Zurich and including researchers in Japan has used a new high‑resolution imaging technique to watch, live, as influenza viruses penetrate human cells. The work shows that cells actively engage with the virus, helping to draw it inside in a process that resembles surfing along the cell membrane, and could inform the development of targeted antiviral therapies.
Virologist Xia Xian, a rising star in the field, has left the US to return to his alma mater, Wuhan University, as a full-time research professor and principal investigator. He will study viruses that can cause life-threatening diseases at a key biosafety lab. His work centers on structural biology of pathogenic microorganisms using advanced microscopy techniques.
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Scientists have discovered that bacteria-infecting viruses sent to the International Space Station evolve in unexpected ways compared to Earth conditions. In microgravity, these viruses and their bacterial hosts undergo distinct genetic changes, potentially improving treatments for drug-resistant infections. The findings, from a study aboard the ISS, highlight how space alters microbial interactions.
Researchers have found that the H5N1 avian influenza virus can survive in raw milk cheese made from contaminated milk, even after the FDA's required 60-day aging period. Highly acidic cheeses, such as feta, showed no detectable virus, highlighting acidity's role in safety. The study, published in Nature Medicine, also indicates that while drinking contaminated milk can infect animals, eating the cheese does not.