👽 Giant Viruses : “Mimiviruses”
(Jan 2016)
Fyodor R., issue 3, refund institute
Biologist Didier Raoult is one of the leading experts in Microbiology, he is all over TV right now in France, providing leadership during this Covid outbreak of 2020.
👽 What are they?
Mimiviruses are so large that they are visible under a light microscope. Around half a micrometre across, and first found infecting amoebae living in a water tower, they boast genomes that are larger than those of some bacteria. They are distantly related to viruses that include smallpox, but unlike most viruses, they have genes to make amino acids, DNA letters and complex proteins.
Gigantic mimiviruses fend off invaders using defences similar to the CRISPR system deployed by bacteria and other microorganisms, French researchers report. They say that the discovery of a working immune system in a mimivirus bolsters their claim that the giant virus represents a new branch in the tree of life.
Nature volume 531, pages 249 – 252 (2016)Cite this article.
A.L., B.L. and D.R. conceived the project and designed the study and experiments; A.L., M.B., P.P., B.L. and D.R. analysed the results; A.L. and D.R. wrote the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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