What Is A Virus

Milton Taylor, Indiana University, offers an easy-to-read and fascinating text describing the impact of viruses on human society. The book starts with an analysis of the profound effect that viral epidemics had on world history resulting in demographic upheavals by destroying total populations. It also provides a brief history of virology and immunology. Furthermore, the use of viruses for the treatment of cancer (viral oncolysis or virotherapy) and bacterial diseases (phage therapy) and as vectors in gene therapy is discussed in detail. Several chapters focus on viral diseases such as smallpox, influenza, polio, hepatitis and their control, as well as on HIV and AIDS and on some emerging viruses with an interesting story attached to their discovery or vaccine development. The book closes with a chapter on biological weapons. It will serve as an invaluable source of information for beginners in the field of virology as well as for experienced virologists, other academics, students, and readers without prior knowledge of virology or molecular biology.

Virus Structure covers the full spectrum of modern structural virology. Its goal is to describe the means for defining moderate to high resolution structures and the basic principles that have emerged from these studies. Among the topics covered are Hybrid Vigor, Structural Folds of Viral Proteins, Virus Particle Dynamics, Viral Gemone Organization, Enveloped Viruses and Large Viruses. Covers viral assembly using heterologous expression systems and cell extracts Discusses molecular mechanisms in bacteriophage T7 procapsid assembly, maturation and DNA containment Includes information on structural studies on antibody/virus complexes

Viruses: From Understanding to Investigation, Second Edition presents the definitions and unique characteristics of viruses. The book includes major topics such as virus lifecycle, structure, taxonomy, evolution, history, host-virus interactions, and methods to study. In addition, the book assesses the connections between the aforementioned topics and provides an integrated approach and in-depth understanding of how viruses work. The new edition also provides an expanded methods chapter containing new information on deep sequencing for in virus identification, mathematical formulas to calculate titers and a description of quantitiative PCR for enumerating viruses. The vaccine chapter has been updated to include vaccine efficacy, mRNA vaccines and SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development. The viral pathogenesis chapter has been expanded to include mechanisms of virally induced cancers. Viral taxonomy sections have been updated and chapters revised to accommodate new virus family designations. New chapters include nucleocytoplasmic viruses (very large DNA viruses), replication of viroids and COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2. Employs a comparative strategy to emphasize unique structural and molecular characteristics that inform transmission, disease processes, vaccine strategies, and host responses Presents a review of host cell, molecular biology, and the immune system Features topical areas of research, including genomics in virus discovery, the virome, and beneficial interactions between viruses and their hosts Includes text boxes throughout with experimental approaches used by virologists Covers learning objectives in each chapter

This book explores a new challenge in virology: to understand how physical properties of virus particles (virions) and viruses (infected cells) affect the course of an infection. Insights from the emerging field of physical virology will contribute to understanding of the physical nature of viruses and cells, and will open new ways for anti-viral interference. Nine chapters and an editorial written by physicists, chemists, biologists and computational experts describe how virions serve as trail blazers in uncharted territory of cells. The authors outline how particles change in composition as they interact with host cells. Such virus dynamics are crucial for virus entry into cells and infection. It influences the modern concepts of virus-host interactions, viral lineages and evolution. The volume gives numerous up-to-date examples of modern virology and provides a fascinating read for researchers, clinicians and students in the field of infectious diseases.

This book contemplates the structure, dynamics and physics of virus particles: From the moment they come into existence by self-assembly from viral components produced in the infected cell, through their extracellular stage, until they recognise and infect a new host cell and cease to exist by losing their physical integrity to start a new infectious cycle. (Bio)physical techniques used to study the structure of virus particles and components, and some applications of structure-based studies of viruses are also contemplated. This book is aimed first at M.Sc. students, Ph.D. students and postdoctoral researchers with a university degree in biology, chemistry, physics or related scientific disciplines who share an interest or are actually working on viruses. We have aimed also at providing an updated account of many important concepts, techniques, studies and applications in structural and physical virology for established scientists working on viruses, irrespective of their physical, chemical or biological background and their field of expertise. We have not attempted to provide a collection of for-experts-only reviews focused mainly on the latest research in specific topics; we have not generally assumed that the reader knows all of the jargon and all but the most recent and advanced results in each topic dealt with in this book. In short, we have attempted to write a book basic enough to be useful to M.Sc and Ph.D. students, as well as advanced and current enough to be useful to senior scientists with an interest in Structural and/or Physical Virology.

A really hands-on introduction to a topical and currently important subject. It explains the way viruses spread, where they come from and how they work, answering a children's questions with fun, interactive flaps.

Virus as Composition, Complexity, Quasispecies, Dynamics, and Biological Implications, Second Edition, explains the fundamental concepts surrounding viruses as complex populations during replication in infected hosts. Fundamental phenomena in virus behavior, such as adaptation to changing environments, capacity to produce disease, and the probability to be transmitted or respond to treatment all depend on virus population numbers. Concepts such as quasispecies dynamics, mutations rates, viral fitness, the effect of bottleneck events, population numbers in virus transmission and disease emergence, and new antiviral strategies are included. The book's main concepts are framed by recent observations on general virus diversity derived from metagenomic studies and current views on the origin and role of viruses in the evolution of the biosphere. Features current views on key steps in the origin of life and origins of viruses Includes examples relating ancestral features of viruses with their current adaptive capacity Explains complex phenomena in an organized and coherent fashion that is easy to comprehend and enjoyable to read Considers quasispecies as a framework to understand virus adaptability and disease processes