Ancient virus found hibernating in the human genome—and it might wake up
In DNA dig, scientists unearth more viral code, which makes up >8% of our genomes.
The DNA in our own cells isn’t solely ours. More than eight percent of the human genome is not human at all—it’s from viruses. And scientists are still digging up yet more viral code from human DNA that may well influence our lives.
thr33beggars: >But, perhaps more interesting, the researchers also found a segment of viral code that appeared to be completely intact and, when activated, may resurrect an ancient virus.
>”This one looks like it is capable of making infectious virus, which would be very exciting if true, as it would allow us to study a viral epidemic that took place long ago,”
Annnnd that’s how an end-of-the-world movie starts off.
crazedhatter: Probably not *A* virus, but rather LOTS of viruses. 8% of the genome is a LOT of info to be the result of a single invasion.
LostAllMyBitcoin: Matrix was correct, we are virus
Szasse: So when Agent Smith said we are a virus he was 8% right….
Lexam: It means some of our ancestors were viruses and we should respect virus culture.
Psilodelic: Alternative hypothesis: Viruses are aberrant code originating from our DNA.
Xul-luX: I will eat my symantec CD for the future of humanity.
pighalf: Not sure if this is related but my ex had worms before we met
Jaerin: I’m pretty sure it was last weeks Science Friday they were talking about how those DNA sequences could be the markers that our immune system uses to identify diseases that have been seen before so it knows how to produce the antigens.
Sanctimonius: So….we have a killswitch built into each of us?
carnewbie911: our ancestor merged with virus
virus now have a way to replicate their DNA with out killing the host, its the prefect infection
also not a virus, its likely multiple virus incorporated their DNA into our genome
21645: What is the % for Ajit Pai?
Moeparker: “This is your President, John Henry Eden. I for one believe I have a solution to this …FEV that is persistent in our great nation. If you’ll just take this vial I will explain my plan…”
DigmanRandt: And that’s actually the reason why some animals have higher rates of cancer than others.
Elephants? Next to none.
Rats? Practically *guaranteed.*
That includes, of course, humans.
misdirected_asshole: Epidemics elicit evolution
TheFuckingFrench: Should we compare this to other primates? Wonder I have the same and what any differences would mean. It would be funny if only humans have this. The sci-fi implications would be fun: we evolved due to a viral infection.
sagittariusa: You merely adopted the virus. I was born in it, molded by it.
Ancient genetic meme game confirmed.
Merari01: Even more interesting, without endogenous retroviral DNA mammals would not even exist.
Viral DNA suppresses a part of our immune system during a critical time in pregnancy, preventing the fetus from being expelled as foreign DNA.
Rhylyk: Classic Descolada
pahispoika: the story of the garden of eden should be revisited where the fruit harbored a virus that permanently changed human DNA and caused the full sentience which led to the knowledge of good and evil. It awoke our minds but stole our longevity causing us to start dying slowly, each generation living less and less, until we’ve finally started to evolve past it and life spans have started to return to previous lengths.
0______-: Still ain’t gonna use McAfee, no sir!
Defence_of_the_Anus: TIL I’m a virus
Big_Jamming_Burst: “Interesting,” I say, shimmering in the sun to allow a predatory bird to eat me.
DarthNobody: Endogenous retroviruses. They’re practically the smoking gun to prove evolution.
FrismFrasm: Does this mean that we could come in contact with some animal/other lifeform that is vulnerable to some virus we carry and we would basically be a walking biohazard to them?
Ikemen08: I wonder if viruses drive evolution of life.
Cronenburg_jerry: Maybe we are the virus
deleted_account_3: I’d be interested to see what would happen if you could remove that viral DNA and make a person with what is left.
My bet: some kind of super-human angelic purified being of physical perfection.
Or a monkey.
FultonPottz: sounds like the bodies virus defender, how ahead and mess with it. /s
tggrinc1st: It was the intellant virus that has made humans the dominant species on this planet and explains humanities unnaturally continuous drive to expand.
babybelly: whats the difference between human and virus dna?
bparkerson04: Are these genes responsible for natural immunities and why some people have natural immunities to diseases that others do not?
H_Lon_Rubbard: And an unknown quantity of beneficial mutations are also the result of retroviral actions.
3 cheers for reverse transcriptase enzymes!
Slaisa: DM: Roll 15 or higher for super powers
Scientist: *Rolls dice*
DM: you rolled a 1, you are now patient zero for the new plague
DillyOh: meanwhile, a little under 2% of our genome is actually Coding-DNA that can be transcribed into mRNA and thus will be translated into proteins.
so in short, we are more virus than human
source: I study this shit
anomalous_cowherd: Maybe that’s just what remains of the alien engineered spaceborne virus that they spread billions of years ago to seed the Universe…
Slipgrid: Take 90% of software binaries, and you might find that 5% of those binaries is OpenSSL, or a Json package, or an XML parser, or the .Net Framework…
What conclusions can you draw from that?
DefinitelyTrollin: Viruses are clearly sent by aliens to genetically engineer us further so one day…
redsandypanda: We wouldn’t have placentas if it wasn’t for viral genes.
lestuckingemcity: Randy, I am the virus. Life is too cliche.
hereforthensfwstuff: Isn’t part of our resistance from cannibalism?
dibs234: Another really interesting thing is that mitochondria are likely a bacteria that developed a symbiotic relationship with us, they then lost a large portion of their DNA, but the mitochondria is a semi self sufficient.
Stephanstewart101: If you can’t beat them join them.
Thanksgiving in space
ILL_DO_THE_FINGERING: In space no one can hear you pass the butter.
liarandathief: Nothing says Thanksgiving like ketchup.
KevlarYarmulke: NASA released this timelapse video on social media. This was Thanksgiving dinner onboard the International Space Station in 2015.
awena626: I count 9 people in this image but usually there are only six people at a time on the ISS. Did they invite some neighbors?
Pasglop: So are only the American astronauts celebrating, or have they invited the astronauts from other countries to join in the fun?
Residual_perception: What is the blur around top center?
erksmit: So I’m curious, how expensive would it be to launch this meal to the space station?
TwisterWTF: Space butter
BannedStoner: why didn’t anyone want that biscuit?
danz409: wander how much of a mess this actually made.
buds4hugs: Ok guys space is cool and all but stop playing with your food
StuPendisdick: Nice CGI, NASA.