RNA viruses are renowned for their elegant structure and finely tuned self‐assembly processes, which are critical both for viral life cycles and for potential applications in nanotechnology and ...

Researchers have now uncovered the 3D structure of the RNA enzyme SAMURI. Their study provides insights into the development of ribozymes and the evolution of catalytically active RNA. Researchers led ...

Ancient viral fossils buried in our DNA are offering fresh clues about how today’s respiratory pathogens infect and spread. By tracing the shared architecture between long-extinct retroviruses and ...

The cold season is in full swing, throats are scratchy and noses are running. We feel ill and hope it is not the flu. The ...

Discover how CRISPR genome editing is revolutionizing medicine. Learn the science of Cas9, current clinical trials, and the future of gene editing.

A team at UT Southwestern Medical Center has identified a structural trick that lets viruses translate their genetic code inside human cells, even when that code is riddled with “bad” codons the host ...

Researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) in Brazil have discovered that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, uses a sophisticated tactic to evade the human body's defense ...

Mammalian immunity has long been thought to rely solely on proteins and specialized immune cells. However, a newly proposed concept—RNA immunity—is reshaping this perspective. In a recent publication ...

We’re celebrating 180 years of Scientific American. Explore our legacy of discovery and look ahead to the future. In 1957, just four years after Francis Crick and other scientists solved the riddle of ...