this post was submitted on 30 Oct 2024
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[–] [email protected] 35 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (1 children)

I assume you mean beneficial to humans?

Viruses make up a large portion of Earth's ecosystem, and a large class of them help keep bacteria in check.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacteriophage

There are even efforts to try and harness them to treat bacterial infections.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phage_therapy

[–] [email protected] 20 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Additionally, a good chunk of our DNA is from ancient viruses, so homosapiens wouldn't be what we are today without viruses.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 hour ago

That's the case for most species.

As a very specific and highly functional example of critical viral proteins in other organisms, there wouldn't be any placental mammals without viruses. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placenta

Mammalian placentas probably first evolved about 150 million to 200 million years ago. The protein syncytin, found in the outer barrier of the placenta (the syncytiotrophoblast) between mother and fetus, has a certain RNA signature in its genome that has led to the hypothesis that it originated from an ancient retrovirus: essentially a virus that helped pave the transition from egg-laying to live-birth.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 15 hours ago

There are viruses that make some plants look more appealing to some people. For example they are the cause of these striped patterns on tulip petals.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 18 hours ago

Viruses affect other things too, including bacteria! Bacteriophages are the first to come to mind

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SbvAaDN1bpE

Sorry to link to a video, but this recent Kurzgesagt video covered your question pretty closely :)

[–] [email protected] 12 points 18 hours ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI3tsmFsrOg

There are beneficial bacteriophages for humans and other animals and plants.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

There is the "Luck Virus" and "Sexual Magnetism Virus" poor Rimmer

[–] [email protected] 2 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

This has made Mr Flibbles very cross!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 15 hours ago

I had hoped a few would get this

[–] [email protected] 5 points 16 hours ago

Probably, yeah. Their whole schtick is to move DNA around and fuck up genomes n shit. They’re evolutionary drivers.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 14 hours ago

Some viruses are useful for studying genes - you can make them transfer a genetic sequence into a cell.

They can be used in gene therapy - a very promising field of medicine.

And some viruses could also be used instead of antibiotics, which could potentialy solve the resistence problems and also help avoiding collateral damage to symbiotic bacteria. (Research of this technology is quite old, unfortunately it was abandoned for a long time and everyone focused on antibiotics instead.)