In a world-first, US-based researchers have genetically engineered a clone of the Zika virus strain, an advance that may aid the development of vaccine and therapies against the infection. Furthermore, they also engineered a luciferase reporter Zika virus which can be used to track the infection in mosquitoes. Notably, Luciferase is the chemical that causes the signature glow in fireflies.
World’s first Zika virus clone developed
