Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have for the first time uncovered the detailed structure of the shell that surrounds the genetic material of retroviruses, such as HIV, at a crucial and potentially vulnerable stage in their life cycle: when they are still being formed. The study, published online in Nature, provides information on a part of the virus that may be a potential future drug target. Retroviruses essentially consist of genetic material encased in a protein shell, which is in turn surrounded by a membrane...
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