Scientists at IST Austria discover how the HIV-related Rous sarcoma virus is assembled driving virus research forward.

Understanding every step in the life cycle of a virus is crucial for identifying potential targets for treatment. Now, scientists at the Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria were able to show how a virus from the retrovirus family – the same family as HIV – protects its genetic information and becomes infectious. Furthermore, they show an unexpected flexibility of the virus. This study is published in the journal Nature Communications.