Viruses: More Survival Tricks Than Previously Thought This article explains a discovery made at the University of Buffalo.

The researchers Derek Taylor, Shaun Bowman, Matthew Ballinger and Jeremy Bruenn discovered a virus living on a host with a nonstandard genetic code. Their finding shows that viruses are even more adaptable than formerly thought. The adapted virus was found in the yeast species Scheffersomyces segobiensis. In this species, the codon C-U-G which normally produces leucine, produces serine. Previously this sort of major change was thought to assist host genomes in evading viruses. Viruses have been known to infect mitochondria before, however this is the first time a virus has been discovered using modified code from the nucleus. The article also provides evidence to show that the yeast and virus may have co-evolved. The yeast even contains a previous virus gene being used to produce a protein. This is described in the article as being expressed as a proteinin the absence of a current viral infection (Science Daily, 2013). The research found 5 lineages of modified yeast with evidence of past or present viral infection. The main scientific ideas in this article are viruses and co-evolution. Viruses are infectious particles that can only replicate once they come into contact with a host. When found outside a host, viruses are genetic material inside a capsid. Once they infect a host, the genetic material codes for virus elements. The virus then takes over the hosts functions and makes it produce viral proteins. Coevolution is when two interdependent species affect each others evolution. This mainly happens between prey and predators, and between mutualistic species. For example, bees and the flowers they pollenate. In my opinion this finding was significant as the more we know about viruses the more we are able to know about how to prevent them from infecting us. Because of this finding we now know that viruses are able to co-evolve with a species to be able to keep infecting it. This means that what may work to stop a virus now may not work later on. The study also shows that viruses are highly adaptable and would probably need a fast-changing or extremely abnormal environment to be deterred from their host. At the start of the article it is mentioned that the fact we havent previously seen any viruses in these species may not be because the viruses cant adapt to that shift. It may be that we havent looked hard enough (Taylor, 2013). This discovery may cause researchers to look more closely at species that they previously thought discouraged viruses with their non-standard genetic code or other abnormalities. Glossary: Capsid shell of protein protecting nucleic acid of a virus Codon a series of 3 molecules which form a piece of genetic code Co-evolution when two species affect each others evolution Genetic Material material that makes up the cell and determines the nature and structure of the cell Genome set of genes within an organism Lineage line of descendants of a specific species Mitochondria organelles that produce energy through cell respiration Non-standard genetic code genetic code that differs from the standard genetic code used in almost every living thing (64 codons that produces certain amino acids) Viral Proteins proteins found in viruses Virus infectious particle dependant on a host cell to replicate and produce proteins.

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