Researchers Show How New Viruses Evolve, And In Some Cases, Become Deadly

Researchers have demonstrated how a new virus evolves, shedding light on how easy it can be for diseases to gain dangerous mutations. The scientists showed for the first time how the virus called "Lambda" evolved to find a new way to attack host cells, an innovation that took four mutations to accomplish. This virus infects bacteria, in particular the common E. coli bacterium.