Picture Downloads: Lasker Award for Ralf Bartenschlager
Proliferation of hepatitis C viruses:
The virus binds to the surface of liver cells and are taken in by the endocytosis process. In the cell, the virus loses its shell and releases its genetic material (viral positive-sense RNA). The ribosomes (yellow) of the host cell then translate the RNA and produces viral proteins, which are then assembled, together with the viral genome, to a full virus in the endoplasmic reticulum. These are then transported in vesicles to the surface of the cell, where they are released outside.
