Innate immunity against pathogens relies on an array of immune receptors to detect
molecular patterns that are characteristic of the pathogens, including receptors that are …

The redundancy of the genetic code implies that most amino acids are encoded by multiple
synonymous codons. In all domains of life, a biased frequency of synonymous codons is …

Messenger RNAs (mRNAs) encode information in both their primary sequence and their
higher order structure. The independent contributions of factors like codon usage and …

Vertebrate genomes exhibit marked CG suppression—that is, lower than expected numbers
of 5′-CG-3′ dinucleotides. This feature is likely to be due to C-to-T mutations that have …

Wild mammalian species, including bats, constitute the natural reservoir of betacoronavirus
(including SARS, MERS, and the deadly SARS-CoV-2). Different hosts or host tissues …

Synthetic biology is a design-driven discipline centered on engineering novel biological
functions through the discovery, characterization, and repurposing of molecular parts …

There has been a dramatic increase in the number of insect-specific flaviviruses (ISFs)
discovered in the last decade. Historically, these viruses have generated limited interest due …

Summary The 2013–2015 West African epidemic of Ebola virus disease (EVD) reminds us
of how little is known about biosafety level 4 viruses. Like Ebola virus, Lassa virus (LASV) …

The accurate classification of viral dark matter–metagenomic sequences that originate from
viruses but do not align to any reference virus sequences–is one of the major obstacles in …

The genetic code, which defines the amino acid sequence of a protein, also contains
information that influences the rate and efficiency of translation. Neither the mechanisms nor …