Cleverness at the viral level

 

Wondering why it's so easy to catch the flu (influenza)?  Well, this is one reason.

(By the way, yet another reason not to cut funding to NIH.)

Influenza A Viruses Strategically Change Shape To Infect Cells

The researchers found:
* Influenza A viruses rapidly adjust their shape when placed in conditions that reduce infection efficiency, such as the presence of antiviral antibodies or host incompatibility.
* A virus’ shape is dynamic and impacted by its environment, rather than being fixed by strain, as commonly believed.
* The study assessed 16 different virus-cell combinations that resulted in predictable shape trends.