Scientists who conduct research on viruses depend heavily on outside sources of funding to staff and supply their laboratories. One of the major sources of funding for independent research is the National Institutes of Health. Funds for research are allocated through a grant mechanism in which investigators submit detailed proposals ...

Let's first define life. According to the online Merriam-Webster Dictionary, life is "an organismic state characterized by capacity for metabolism, growth, reaction to stimuli, and reproduction." Viruses are not living things. Viruses are complicated assemblies of molecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and carbohydrates, but on their own they can ...