Virus Research Paper

The course website has been updated so that the Research Paper hyperlink works.  Read the document to get an idea of what is expected of you.
Trustworthy sources — the best is PubMed, although our library’s subscription list is spotty at best so many of the papers you will try and access will be unavailable.  But that shouldn’t stop you from trying as most everything on PubMed is infinitely more trustworthy than standard Google fare.

If the lack of subscriptions is annoying you can go to PubMed Central, an online repository of public-accessible journal articles.  It’s basically PubMed without some of the newest articles.

You want to stick with reviews, at least at first (click the tab titled “Review” or include the word “review” in your search parameter, e.g. “smallpox review vaccine” or “HIV AZT review”).  Find a couple of review titles that interest you and then sit down and read them.  The danger here is that many of these reviews are very well written and you might find yourself adopting phrases and sentences rather than just adopting the ideas presented and fashioning your own interpretation and presentation of the material.

Also think of figures that you might generate to help describe the virus, the cell biology, and the biochemistry involved with that virus.  You might also choose to concentrate on therapeutics for a particular virus.  What are they?  What is the mechanism?  What is the target?  Give us molecular details.

Hope this helps.