Are there any helpful viruses?
Biological viruses that is. I doubt that there are any viruses that are directly beneficial to us. I was thinking that there might be viruses that help because they are enemies of our enemies, like ladybugs. Such a virus would be convenient because it would not be necessary to keep it alive. It could be kept in inert form until needed.
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We’ve started developing viruses for things like gene therapy, which deliver genes that are helpful.
I don’t know of any cases of natural biological viruses that are helpful, specifically.
I think so. I believe there are actually viruses that attack disease causing micro-organisms and kill them off, while being harmless to humans. That may not be at all correct, but I feel like I heard something about it somewhere.
The ones that I got when I needed a day off school? I remember those – they were helpful.
No virus is bad. It We see it that way.
It’s just part of the process.
Sort of if it don’t kill you it will make you stronger. We just don’t like the negative aspect of that.
How about the weakened or killed viruses we use in vaccines? Those would fit the description.
@Snarp There also natural viruses that do that, usually called bacteriophage (literally, bacteria viruses). My lab actually uses them, and we don’t have to be ultra careful because they can’t infect humans. Viruses work by implanting their genes into an organism, and so they tend to be tuned to specific organisms.
Yes, especially bacteriophages. Huge potential.
Viruses are the genetic engineer’s toolkit, pretty much.
Did you know that meats that are eaten cold (like cold cuts/lunch meats) are sprayed with certain viruses (phages) that keep them free of bacterial contamination? That sounds pretty helpful to me.
Of course, once people hear that their lunchmeats are sprayed with “ewww, viruses!”, they sometimes go a little nutty. Perhaps he’d prefer a nice case of listeria?
Viruses are useful only for reducing a populations numbers.
It depends on what you would wish to achieve. Having an STD for example, would help ensure you don’t get pregnant as less people will be willing to have sex with you.
Helpful? maybe some bacteriophages as mentioned. But I’m wary of human engineered viruses. like in the movie I Am Legend…
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