Viruses, as everyone knows, are invisible little things that make us sick. But is that this the entire story?
Zoom in close enough and you may discover the complex, unseen world of viruses. Some make us sick, but many others exist with us as a part of the natural world. Most are very pretty and lots of, it seems, look a bit like snowflakes.
This is the time of 12 months for seasonal decorating. So MRC University of Glasgow Center for Virus Research Made a set of Papercraft Virus Snowflakes You can print and cut. They’re a fun solution to explore the viruses around us this winter. And the vaccines that protect us from them.
Here are a few of our favorites.
Ed Hutchinson, MRC University of Glasgow Center for Virus Researchfor , for , for , . By CC
A virus gave me on Christmas Day: A world too small to see
A beautifully decorated adenovirus, just 100 nanometers across—that is ten thousandths of a millimeter, or smaller than 1 / 4 of the wavelength of visible light.
On the second day of Christmas a virus gave me: two twin capsids
Many viruses use repeating protein blocks to package their genetic material (genome) into a daily, round “capsid”. Plant geminiviruses pull off a chic geometric trick, stacking their proteins right into a doubly capsid structure.
On the third day of Christmas a virus gave me: three genome segments
Most viruses store their genes in a single molecule, but some have them divided into segments – just as our DNA is split into multiple chromosomes. This virus, Heartland virus, has three of them.
Ed Hutchinson, MRC University of Glasgow Center for Virus Researchfor , for , for , . By CC
A virus gave me the fourth day of Christmas: 4 covid vaccines
There are 4 principal sorts of provid vaccines (clockwise from top left): protein subunit vaccines (which use harmless virus fragments), inactivated virus vaccines (using killed virus particles), mRNA vaccines (delivered in small lipid vesicles), and adenoviral vector vaccines (using a harmless virus as a delayed-release vehicle).
On the fifth day of Christmas a virus gave me: fiiiive tiiiny riiiiiiings
Aneloviruses (named after the Latin word for “color” due to their circular genome) are extremely common blood-borne viruses. Despite infecting almost everyone on the planet, they do not cause any disease – in order that they went completely unnoticed for many years.
A virus gave me on the sixth day of Christmas: Six Wasps A-laying
Brachiiformes have formed a remarkable partnership with certain sorts of parrots. The WASP passes the virus’s genes on to its offspring, and in return, the virus provides the capsid (protein shell) for the WASP to make use of. The WASP then uses this capsid to disable the caterpillar’s immune system, allowing it to put eggs contained in the living caterpillar. Not one of the best story, but that is nature for you.
Ed Hutchinson, MRC University of Glasgow Center for Virus Researchfor , for , for , . By CC
On the seventh day of Christmas a virus gave me: a barking of seven dogs
A vaccine comprised of inactivated rabies virus particles. Rabies vaccines were among the many first to be developed, and, unusually, they will protect anyone after a dog bite has subsequently exposed them to the deadly virus.
A virus gave me the eighth day of Christmas: eight tools for teaching
Bacteriophage lambda infects probably the most studied strains of lab bacteria, Instead of being an issue, it turned out to be a revelation. By hooking up its host with a clever set of genetic switches, lambda has helped scientists understand how cells and genes are controlled.
On the ninth day of Christmas a virus gave me: nine childhood vaccines
From 1 January 2026, all children within the UK will likely be offered free vaccines against these latest viruses. They are (clockwise from top left) measles virus (reason behind measles and measles encephalitis), varicella-zoster virus (possible contributor to chickenpox, shingles, and dementia), poliovirus (poliomyelitis and paralysis), mumps virus (mumps), hepatitis B virus, hepatitis B virus. Papilloma virus (cervical cancer), influenza virus (influenza), rotavirus (gastroenteritis) and rubella virus (German measles, miscarriage, congenital rubella syndrome).
Ed Hutchinson, MRC University of Glasgow Center for Virus Researchfor , for , for , . By CC
On the tenth day of Christmas a virus gave me: ten lunar landers
Bacteriophage T4 is an especially complex and stylish bacterial virus. It lands on a bacterium like a tiny lunar module, then squats right down to inject its genome and take over the cell. A small step.
A virus gave me the eleventh day of Christmas: Eleven Christmas Dinners
Top Ten Cross-Viruses – Many viruses that infect gut bacteria and are a part of your normal, healthy microflora. They harbored a norovirus, which causes vomiting sickness within the winter, and it isn’t a part of your normal, healthy microflora.
On the twelfth day of Christmas a virus gave me: capable of win twelve battles
Viruses representing pandemics or major outbreaks for the reason that starting of the twentieth century: 4 influenza viruses (from the 1918, 1957, 1968 and 2009 pandemics), SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2, Zika virus, MPOX virus, HIV, poliovirus and Ebola virus.
The responses to all of those outbreaks were complex and flawed, but in each case the impact would have been far worse had it not been for the tireless work of health care professionals, scientists, and public health experts. This work should proceed – with an area “Disease X”the virus continues to be prior to now.
If you must see more, you may download and take a look at Virus Snowflakes for yourself, together with lesson plans and more. Free resources.