Virology Lab

Virology Simulation: Viral Structure, Replication & Infection

This virology simulation examines what viruses are — obligate intracellular parasites composed of a nucleic acid genome packaged in a protein capsid, sometimes enveloped in a lipid membrane — and how they hijack host cell machinery to replicate. Students trace the lytic and lysogenic cycles of bacteriophage, compare RNA vs. DNA viral replication strategies, and explore how viruses like influenza mutate their surface proteins to evade antibody recognition. This is a foundational science tool distinct from the virus-spread simulation, which models population-level epidemics.

What you can do in this simulation

• Examine capsid structure, surface proteins, and envelope glycoproteins that determine host cell tropism
• Follow the lytic cycle: attachment, injection, replication, assembly, and lysis of the host cell
• Compare the lysogenic cycle, where viral DNA integrates and is silently replicated with the host
• Explore RNA virus replication including the role of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and error-prone copying
• Model antigenic drift — accumulation of mutations in surface proteins — and how it affects vaccine effectiveness

Concepts covered

viral replication · lytic and lysogenic cycles · capsid structure · RNA virus · antigenic drift · host-pathogen interaction

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