Scientists uncover a clever ranking strategy bacteria use to fight off viruses

Tuesday, September 20, 2016 - 06:31 in Biology & Nature

Like humans, bacteria come under attack from viruses and rely on an immune system to defend themselves. A bacterial immune system known as CRISPR helps microbes "remember" the viruses they encounter and more easily fend them off in the future. Since researchers first discovered CRISPR in the mid-2000s, they have noticed something peculiar: It records confrontations with viruses sequentially, placing the most recent attack first in a series of genetically encoded memories.

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