Viruses Store and Deliver Keys to Evolution

• Scientists like Forest Rowher, believe that virus' called phages can act as gene transporters for bacteria.
• With an estimated 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 phages on the earth, and the facts that antibodies kill bacteria but not viruses, and can switch environments very rapidly, it would make perfect sense for viruses to carry evolutionary advantages.
• By using a process called metagenomics, scientists found that the genetic profile of viruses and bacteria in different environments was very distinct.
• There are many times when viruses won't kill the bacteria they have infected, supporting this theory, and genes related to movement of bacteria have been found in viruses, suggesting that they can "control" instead of kill the bacteria during infection.
• Other viruses have been found to contain genes that allow the "consumption" of substances that bacteria cannot normally eat, unless the virus gives them the genes.

Reflection:
This story caught my eye because it presented a completely different viewpoint than that which I normally looked at viruses through. Before, I would have said, if anything, that viruses could only slow down evolution, because all they do is wipe out populations of cells very quickly. However, this article shows that despite the destructive nature, they can provide a collateral advantage instead of damage. along with some of the other articles I have read, this article makes it seem like almost anything can be bent to the will of humans. I would imagine that the next step of this discovery would be to give viruses certain genes and then inflict them upon bacteria to control the bacteria.

Source:
Bryner, Jeanna. "Viruses Store and Deliver Keys to Evolution - LiveScience- Msnbc.com." Breaking News, Weather, Business, Health, Entertainment, Sports, Politics, Travel, Science, Technology, Local, US & World News- Msnbc.com. Web. 19 May 2010. .