Not all viruses infect humans - some, like PhiX174, infect bacteria. The virus, called a bacteriophage because it infects bacteria, is in a unique class of viruses that do not contain a typical structure for the transfer of DNA, or genetic material, into host cells in order to complete reproduction. Using mutagenesis, Dr. Bentley Fane found that a balance of forces between potential energy and an osmotic gradient governs this virus' unique genome delivery strategy.
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