The new viruses are then released from the host cell and are free to infect other cells. The study also will provide scientists with new insights on how molecular motors work in biology, said Dwight Anderson, professor at the University of Minnesota. Working in a micro-droplet, or an area the size of a very small drop, the motor packages a DNA about 130 times longer than the viral shell, in just three minutes. A crossection through the DNA motor showing the individual protein molecules and DNA strand. A model for the function of the DNA-spooling function of the motor.
Bacteriophages are viruses that only infect bacteria.
They are widely used in laboratory research because they are often similar in structure to human viruses. The research was also funded by the National Institutes of Health and Purdue University.