{"id":12256,"date":"2011-05-04T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2011-05-04T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/reasons.org\/publications\/a-cornucopia-of-evidence-for-intelligent-design-dna-packaging-of-the-t4-virus\/"},"modified":"2011-05-04T09:00:00","modified_gmt":"2011-05-04T09:00:00","slug":"a-cornucopia-of-evidence-for-intelligent-design-dna-packaging-of-the-t4-virus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/creation\/life\/a-cornucopia-of-evidence-for-intelligent-design-dna-packaging-of-the-t4-virus","title":{"rendered":"A Cornucopia of Evidence for Intelligent Design: DNA Packaging of the T4 Virus"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love the food, fellowship, and the chance to reflect on the abundance of blessings in my life. I\u2019m filled with a spirit of gratitude.<\/p>\n

I experienced this same feeling of thankfulness after thinking about recent scientific research from the Catholic University of America in Washington DC. These scientists have gained new insight into the structure and function of the DNA packaging machine of the T4 virus.1<\/sup> Their discoveries have uncovered a cornucopia of new evidence for intelligent design.<\/p>\n

The Infection Process<\/h2>\n

Viruses are infectious agents that consist of a protein capsule that houses genetic material (either DNA or RNA). Multiple copies of identical protein<\/a> subunits interact to form the capsid. Some viruses also possess a protein tail that extends from the base of the viral capsid, which also consists of several protein subunits.<\/p>\n

\n\"Virus
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Viruses infect cells by binding to the surface of a target cell and injecting their own genetic material into the cell. When present, the viral tail binds the virus to the target cell\u2019s surface and injects the viral genetic material into the host cell. <\/p>\n

Once inside the cell, the viral genetic material uses the host cell\u2019s enzymatic machinery to make copies of itself and its proteins, which then assemble to form multiple copies of the virus. With time, the newly produced virus particles cause the host cell to rupture, releasing the nascent viruses to repeat the infectious cycle.<\/p>\n

The T4 virus infects the bacterium, E. coli<\/i><\/a>. The embedded video clip depicts the binding of the T4 virus to the surface of E. coli<\/i> followed by the injection of its genetic material (DNA) into the host cell.<\/p>\n

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