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HIJACKING CELLULAR MACHINERY. "When it comes into contact with a host cell, a virus can insert its genetic material into its host, literally taking over the host's functions. An infected cell produces more viral protein and genetic material instead of its usual products." http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/alllife/virus.html View in LinkedIn

Yesterday, I served on a panel of judges at London Business School's Healthcare challenge, where five finalist pitched for a 10,000 pound prize. A great team from Innersight (3D radiologic imaging for surgery) won the competition. As usual, LBS Heathcare Club excelled. View in LinkedIn

"MASSIVE VIRAL COLONIZATION occurred from the very beginning of life, starting with the evolution of Bacteria and Archaea, later on of Protoctista and multicellular Eukaryota. The formation of all kingdoms, their families, genera, and species relies on the effects of viral colonization and results in diversified lineages and ultimately in the evolution of new species." https://lnkd.in/e-pJFM6 View in LinkedIn

THERE'S A BUG IN TNE OINTMENT. "On the basis of phylogenetic studies, part of these bacterial genes can be readily attributed to the alphaproteobacterial endosymbiont from which mitochondria evolved. Yet, the origin of the remaining set of bacterial genes in eukaryotic genomes, which seemingly lacks phylogenetic coherence, is a matter of debate." http://www.biochemsoctrans.org/content/41/1/451.full View in LinkedIn

DIVERSE ORIGINS. "The origins of viruses in the evolutionary history of life are unclear: some may have evolved from plasmids—pieces of DNA that can move between cells—while others may have evolved from bacteria. In evolution, viruses are an important means of horizontal gene transfer, which increases genetic diversity." https://lnkd.in/eF3wTsF View in LinkedIn

CROSSING THE SPECIES BARRIER. "The origin of bacterial genes in eukaryotes. In addition to gene duplication, HGT events have played a major role in the emergence of the eukaryotic cell, as is evident by the significant amount of genes that clearly are of bacterial origin that reside on eukaryotic genomes." (HGT = Horizontal Gene Transfer). http://www.biochemsoctrans.org/content/41/1/451.full View in LinkedIn

SMALL IS HUGE. "Almost all of the life in the oceans, by weight, is prokaryotic (bacteria and archaea), with viruses and protists making up roughly equal amounts of the remaining. The big stuff, the whales and other charismatic mega-fauna are actually pretty trivial in terms of overall biomass. 95% to 98% of the living material, by weight, in the oceans is microscopic. In a litre of coastal seawater there are more viruses than there are people on the planet." http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full/10.1139/gen-2013-0152 View in LinkedIn

GENE AMPLIFICATION. "A significant part of the paralogous gene content of the ancestral eukaryotic gene content seems to be a result of lateral gene transfer, which, at least in part, was acquired via the endosymbiosis that gave rise to the emergence of the mitochondrion." The ancient symbiotic bacteria that became our nucleus supplied many genes to our repertoire. Genes outsourced? http://www.biochemsoctrans.org/content/41/1/451.full View in LinkedIn

GREATEST GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY: VIRUSES. "The oceans are being viewed as a vast reservoir of potential genetic and biological diversity that can be interrogated to uncover processes and functions. Perhaps surprising to some, most life in the oceans, by weight, is microbial." https://lnkd.in/e2MHV6z View in LinkedIn

SPECTRAL SPECIES. "The different kinds of bacteria are not separated by sharp divisions but by slight and subtle differences in characters so that they seem to blend into each other and resemble a spectrum.” https://lnkd.in/exx_wqw View in LinkedIn