How Viruses Cooperate to Defeat CRISPR
Some weaken their hosts’ immune systems by sacrificing themselves in kamikaze fashion, paving the way for successful infections later.
No single wolf can take down a bison on its own, but the pack has strength in numbers. A lone army ant is little threat, but an entire colony is a mighty destructive force. The natural world abounds with examples of predators that cooperate to take down their prey. And such teamwork also exists at a microscopic scale, among things that some scientists wouldn’t even classify as alive: viruses.
Most viruses don’t infect humans; instead, they target bacteria. These viruses, known as , are like miniature syringes. They commandeer bacteria by landing on them and injecting their genetic material inside. But bacteria can defend themselves from these
