Vampire Viruses: Unveiling the First-ever Virus-on-Virus Attachment

Scientists have observed a virus attaching to another virus for the first time. The virus in question is a bacteriophage, which infects bacteria, and also a satellite virus that relies on "helper" viruses to complete its life cycle. The discovery was made by undergraduate students analyzing bacteriophage sequences, and electron microscopy imaging confirmed the presence of satellite viruses attached to their helpers. The researchers believe this interaction between the viruses could be ancient, with the two co-evolving for at least 100 million years. The findings could help explain some cases of phage sequencing contamination and inspire further research into this phenomenon.