The Invisible Power
The tremendous power of viruses is being shown to all of us in a particularly impressive way at the moment. These tiny particles only consist of a few molecules: DNA or RNA and – as virions outside of infected cells – some proteins and maybe a membrane envelope, that's it. They are also dependent on host cells in order to reproduce. That is why many even deny them the status of a living being. And yet the invisible molecular aggregates have managed to massively affect our lives in recent weeks. Once again, one has to say, after all the virus epidemics in human history, from smallpox, which has fortunately been eradicated in the meantime, to the Spanish flu and the current Covid-19 pandemic.
Their pathogen called Sars-CoV-2 poses major challenges for research. A central point is the introduction of an effective vaccine as quickly as possible. Starting on page 25, the biochemist Stefan Müller describes his work on one of the candidates that are currently being developed and tested worldwide. The first tests on humans are scheduled to begin in June; if all goes well, the vaccine could go into mass production in a year.
Until then, politics is required. In order to better assess the effectiveness and necessity of the various social and societal interventions to curb the spread of the disease, decision-makers are increasingly resorting to computer simulations that reproduce the course of the epidemic depending on various influencing factors. You can read about how the researchers develop such models from p. 22 onwards.
As the Covid-19 pandemic grips us, it's important to remember that viruses are not just a he alth threat. They also play a very useful, possibly even vital, role. In recent years, researchers have focused on the microbiome: the entirety of all microorganisms - such as bacteria - in our body. However, this harbors at least as many viruses as microbes. Most of them specifically infect certain bacteria and thus regulate the microbiome. With this, the viruses that live inside us turn out to be our allies, helping us to stay he althy. And as the article from p. 40 shows, even antibiotic-resistant bacteria can be effectively combated with their help.
Enlightening reading wishes
Hartwig Hanser
