Oct 15 2024 Insect-specific flaviviruses uniquely evade antiviral RNAi

In this paper, we explore the role of RNA interference (RNAi) in mosquito immunity by comparing viral small interfering RNA (siRNA) profiles across different insect-specific flaviviruses

May 29 2024 Xinyang flavivirus is a novel tick-borne Orthoflavivirus

In this paper, we report the discovery of Xinyang flavivirus (XiFV), a novel virus isolated from Haemaphysalis flava ticks in China. Through phylogenetic analysis, we found that XiFV is closely related to other tick-only flaviviruses, such as Mpulungu flavivirus (MPFV) from Zambia and Ngoye virus (NGOV) from Senegal. This positions XiFV in a unique clade of orthoflaviviruses, a group that seems to infect only ticks, without any known vertebrate host

Feb 12 2024 Beyond Pango: The future of virus lineage classification

Keeping pace with ever-changing viruses is a challenge. This study unveils an automated system for classifying viral lineages based on genetics, offering a faster and more objective approach

Nov 03 2023 The pivotal role of virus bioinformatics in global health

On One Health Day, we recognize the intricate links between human, animal, and environmental health, underscored by the emergence of novel viruses like SARS-CoV-2. This post, crafted for a lay audience, delves into the critical contributions of virus bioinformatics in understanding and combating infectious diseases. It emphasizes the importance of predicting RNA structures for understanding RNA viruses and discusses the role of genomic epidemiology in tracking viral spread and evolution

Oct 23 2023 Zika virus: Unlocking cures with G-quadruplex structures

We identified a conserved G-quadruplex structure in the Zika virus's 3' terminal region, which interacts with human DEAD-box helicases, DDX3X and DDX17. These findings suggest new potential therapeutic targets for the development of treatments against the virus