A Newly Discovered Giant Virus Found in a Pond Is Blurring the Line Between Life and Non-Life

Microscopic view of a giant virus particle with complex surface structures captured in a lab visualization

Scientists in Japan have identified a previously unknown giant virus in a freshwater pond near Tokyo, and its features are forcing biologists to revisit one of the most radical ideas in evolutionary science. The virus, named ushikuvirus, is not just unusually large. It behaves in ways that resemble the inner machinery of complex cells. Researchers … Read more