The Silent Epidemic: When a Virus Infects a Paramecium

Описание: What happens when a microscopic predator becomes the prey? In this video, we dive into the hidden world of Paramecium Bursaria Chlorella Virus 1 (PBCV-1) and other “giant viruses” that wage war on single-celled organisms.

We’ll explore how these complex viruses locate, attach to, and hijack the machinery of a paramecium specifically those hosting symbiotic algae. Discover the astonishingly precise infection process, from the injection of viral DNA to the eventual lysis (bursting) that releases hundreds of new viral particles back into the water.

This isn't just a curious microscopic drama; studying these viral infections helps scientists understand ancient viral evolution, host-symbiont dynamics, and even potential applications in nanotechnology and gene delivery.

South African & International Reading & Sources:

· Van Zyl, L.J., et al. (2016). Metagenomic analysis of viruses in dam water used for irrigation. - A key study on detecting viral diversity in South African water sources.
· The research legacy of Prof. Derek J. van der Westhuizen (University of Pretoria) on algal viruses and microbial ecology.
· The Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics (CMEG) at the University of Pretoria, a hub for cutting-edge environmental virology research.
· Van Etten, J.L., et al. (2010). Phycodnaviruses: Giant Viruses of Algae. - The foundational international research.

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