mutation

"Luckily, it's also something we can overcome, either with brute force or, better, with a smart mutation directly tackling the source of the problem, the acidic patch."

Spontaneous mutations of DNA arise in all living cells, including those within bacteria.

In the study, 10 children had parasites with genetic mutations previously associated with artemisinin partial resistance.

"We already knew that certain mutations in these subunits are linked to the eye disease retinitis pigmentosa," says Dr. Cristian Prieto-Garcia from the Institute of Biochemistry II, the first author of the study.

The team then used lab techniques to mimic repeated transmission of a human-origin virus in mice, testing the protein's role in the pace of mutations that lead to interspecies adaptation.