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FOSSIL RECORD. "Retroviral infections that impacted the genome had to have happened repeatedly during primate evolution with the most recent episode in humans between 100,000 and 1 million years ago. This impressive fossil record, represented by endogenous retroviruses, is still likely a vast underestimate of the number of retroviral infections of human ancestors. Many retroviruses do not infect the germline." https://lnkd.in/d_5Sz4c View in LinkedIn

RESTATEMENT. "Eight percent of human genome endogenous retroviruses – “junk DNA”. Unable to be reactivated, harmless. 8% “junk DNA” suggests major evolutionary role of viruses." https://lnkd.in/djwcKBi View in LinkedIn

LIVING VIRAL MUSEUM. "The human genome is a living document of ancient and now extinct viruses. Indeed, DNA of retroviral origin makes up 8% of human genome sequence. At a very minimum, each of the more than 31 families of endogenous retrovirus found in the human genome must have arisen from one or more separate paleoviruses that infected the ancestors of modern humans." https://lnkd.in/d_5Sz4c View in LinkedIn

NOT JUST DISEASE CAUSING. Most viruses do not cause human disease. Many viruses perform useful functions for their hosts by persistent symbiosis. Scientists have characterized many disease-causing viruses, and this has led us to think that all viruses are dangerous. This has led us to a war on microbes mentality. We are only just now beginning to characterize the full viral universe. https://lnkd.in/duptQ7b View in LinkedIn

NON-PARASITIC VIRUSES. "Most viruses, however, are stable, persistent living beings that do not colonize a host organism for simple selfish purposes. Rather, they display varying survival strategies which can differ according to the host they inhabit." https://lnkd.in/e-pJFM6 View in LinkedIn

PARASITIC VIRUSES "represent a special case of viruses that were unable to reach persistent status by a sessile life-style." https://lnkd.in/e-pJFM6 View in LinkedIn

DNA VACCINES. "The investigational Ebolavirus and Marburgvirus WT GP DNA vaccines were safe, well tolerated, and immunogenic in this phase I study." https://lnkd.in/dEyA-42 View in LinkedIn

QUASI SELF-GOVERNANCE. "With very few important exceptions...organelles have retained DNA." https://lnkd.in/d8-2n7b View in LinkedIn

INFECTIOUS DNA. "For many virus families the naked synthetic DNA or RNA (once enzymatically converted back from the synthetic cDNA) is infectious when introduced into a cell. That is, they contain all the necessary information to produce new viruses. This technology is now being used to investigate novel vaccine strategies." https://lnkd.in/eF3wTsF View in LinkedIn

TRANSITION FROM OUTSIDE. "According to Keeling and Archibald, the usual way to distinguish organelles from endosymbionts is by their reduced genome sizes. As an endosymbiont evolves into an organelle, most of their genes are transferred to the host cell genome. The host cell and organelle need to develop a transport mechanism that enables transfer back of the protein products needed by the organelle but now manufactured by the cell." https://lnkd.in/dQewn-C View in LinkedIn