Viruses have been found in all cellular forms of life, from bacteria to chordates. Pathogenic human and animal viruses are causative agents of serious diseases such as AIDS, encephalitides, hepatitides, influenza, SARS, etc. Plant viruses are responsible for many major agricultural problems. Therefore, studying various viruses and their interaction with hosts is a prerequisite for finding remedies against viral diseases and understanding the principles of the organization of life.

A virus is a small, infectious, obligate intracellular parasite, capable of replicating itself in a host cell. Virions are formed by de novo assembly from newly synthesized components: the genome and a number of copies of at least one viral protein.    [more »]