Virology

Viruses are some of the smallest biological entities found in nature—yet, at the same time, perhaps the most notorious. Having no independent metabolic activity of their own, they function as intracellular parasites, depending entirely on infecting and interacting with the cells of a host organism to produce new copies of themselves. The effects on the host organism can be catastrophic, leading to disease and death. HIV has killed more than 18 million people since its identification and has infected twice that number. Ebola, West Nile virus, herpes, and pox viruses—are all well-known viruses yet shrouded in fear and mystery. During the course of this semester, we will examine the biology of viruses, discussing their physical and genetic properties, their interaction with host cells, their ability to commandeer the cellular machinery for their own reproductive needs, the effects of viral infection on host cells, and finally how viruses and other subviral entities may have originated and evolved. In addition, we will examine how viruses have been portrayed in literature, with readings that include Laurie Garrett’s The Coming Plague and Richard Preston’s The Hot Zone.