What are the important uses of viruses?
1 Answer
Aside from being the causative agents of many diseases, viruses are important tools in cell biology research, particularly in studies on macromolecular synthesis.
Explanation:
Viruses are important to the study of molecular and cell biology as they provide simple systems that can be used to manipulate and investigate the functions of the cells.
Recombinant viruses can be used as vectors to transduce selected genes into cells. The use of viral vectors for gene therapy is still in its infancy, but has great potential for treatment of various diseases.
Virus directed enzyme prodrug therapy can activate an inactive precursor of a cytotoxic drug that is administered systemically. Thus, the active cytotoxic form of the drug is only produced where the relevant enzyme is present.
Viruses are commonly used in material science as scaffolds for covalently linked surface modifications. The powerful techniques developed by life sciences are becoming the basis of engineering approaches towards nano materials, opening a wide range of applications far beyond biology and medicine.
Most bacteriophages are harmless to plants and animals, but are infact essential to the regulation of marine and fresh water ecosystem. Some of them infect and destroy bacteria in aquatic microbial communities and are one of the most important mechanisms of recycling carbon and nutrient cycling in marine environments.
Viruses are also major agents responsible for the rapid destruction of harmful algal blooms, which often kill other marine life.
They are also used to control damaging pests by causing disease of the target species.
Viruses are an important natural means of transferring genes between different species which increases genetic diversity and drives evolution.
Viruses are still one of the largest reservoirs of unexplored genetic diversity on Earth.
