Inside every cell sits an alarm switch for viruses — scientists in Hyderabad just found how it flips

When a virus sneaks into a cell, it races to copy itself before the body notices. Scientists at CSIR-CCMB in Hyderabad have now found the cell's own alarm switch: a protein called DZIP3. It spots the virus's genetic material, changes shape to switch itself on, then travels to the mitochondria — the cell's power stations — where it tags and wakes up key immune defenders. Those defenders release interferons, natural molecules that stop the virus from multiplying. In the study, published in The EMBO Journal, this one pathway protected cells against several very different viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, chikungunya and Japanese encephalitis. The team, led by Santosh Chauhan, is now designing small drug molecules that could boost the switch — a possible route to medicines that help the body fight many viruses, not just one.

SDG 3 · Good health and well-being — Mechanism: tech innovation