Turning RNA Into DNA: The Discovery That Revolutionized Biology and Biotechnology

Viruses are unique biological systems. They are parasites that use the cells of other organisms, called hosts, to multiply, often causing disease to the host. One of the most interesting features of viruses is that some of them contain RNA as their genetic material—all other known organisms use DNA. In the beginning of my career I worked on RNA viruses, trying to understand their basic behaviors and processes. When I focused on RNA viruses that are known to cause cancer, I discovered that they can make DNA from their RNA genomes, in a process called reverse transcription. That was a great discovery that changed the prevailing way of thinking and had profound implications in the fields of biology, medicine, and biotechnology. In this article, I will tell you about viruses, walk you through the discovery of reverse transcription, and describe some major implications of our findings in terms of improving or even saving many human lives.