• Question: What is the most interesting thing about your field of work?

    Asked by lizzie_osullivan to Nicholas, Natalie, Marta, Craig on 15 Mar 2017.
    • Photo: Marta Varela

      Marta Varela answered on 15 Mar 2017:

      Hi Lizzie.

      I like the fact that I make models of the human body in the computer. It is always tough to figure out what details to add to the model and which to leave out, but I can’t stop being amazed at how I am able to do this. What is even more amazing is how it can actually be useful to help understand how diseases come about and how best to treat them.

      What do you find most interesting in your studies?

    • Photo: Craig O'Hare

      Craig O'Hare answered on 15 Mar 2017:

      My favourite fact about biology is that we have fossils from viruses in our DNA.

      Humans and viruses have been evolving along side one another for a long time. Some viruses called retroviruses insert themselves into our DNA during infection. Over time we have accumulated pieces of their DNA in our genes.

      Some research suggests these virus fossils can influence how well a person responds to HIV treatments or get cancer. My favourite research paper showed that if you remove a mouse’s ability to detect viruses, these fossils reactivate and viruses remerge from the mouse’s cells! Pretty weird huh?

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