Why Viruses Deserve a Better Reputation
Sure they cause disease, but the microbes can be a help as well. Witness long-lasting pepper seeds, drought-resistant crop plants, and even our own placentas.
By Amber Dance
We’ve known for a long time that viruses aren’t all bad. Many just hitchhike through living organisms without causing any problems. And some are beneficial, even necessary, for life on Earth. We wouldn’t be here without them, says Marylin Roossinck of Pennsylvania State University.
Roossinck loves viruses so much she wrote the book “Virus: An Illustrated Guide to 101 Incredible Microbes” (Princeton University Press, 2016). She also coauthored the article “Symbiosis: Viruses as Intimate Partners,” in the 2017 Annual Review of Virology.
And the association is intimate. Viruses can only survive by entering and copying themselves inside a living cell. They use the machinery of the host cell to replicate their genetic material and produce more viral particles.
More than 200 kinds of viruses are known to infect people, and scientists estimate that a few hundred thousand infect other mammals. Add in those that infect plants, bacteria and other organisms, and viruses are big players in the biosphere. Overall…
