Zombie Virus (Pithovirus Sibericum) - GIANTmicrobes® Plush Toy

GIANTmicrobes® Zombie Virus (Pithovirus Sibericum) Plus Doll Toy!

Even death won’t stop this virus from replicating! When lured out of Siberian frost with fresh amoeba, zombie viruses attacked the amoeba and bent them to their will! 

• These 1 micrometer viruses are enormous for a virus, as large as many bacteria.
• Zombie viruses have unusual and intriguing genetic material, unlike other known lifeforms.
• Time will tell what else is lurking deep under the frost, waiting to be brought back from the dead!

Each GIANTmicrobes® originals plush is based on a specific microbe (not actual size) and ranges from 5-8". They're great learning tools for children, gifts for teachers, or gags for coworkers in the lab! 

Specifications

• Size: approximately 5-8"
• Color: gray
• Manufacturer: GIANTmicrobes®
• Product Code/SKU: GM523
• UPC/GTIN: 846869005820 
• Materials: Plush from all new materials. Stuffed with polyester fiber fill. 
• Cleaning & Care: Surface washable: sponge with water & soap, air dry.
• Details: Each plush microbe includes a printed card with fun, educational and fascinating facts about the actual microbe or cell.
• Safety: Every product meets or exceeds U.S. and European standards for safety. 
• Age: For ages 3 and up

Video

Learn More About Zombie Virus

FACTS: When French scientists Jean-Michel Claverie and Chantal Abergel learned that plants had been revived from 30,000 year old seeds found in squirrel hoards buried deep in the Siberian permafrost, they requested frost samples from the Russian team. They then tempted the samples with fresh amoeba, and were able to lure dormant viruses hiding in the frost into action. The viruses attacked the amoeba, bent them to their will, and started using them as replication laboratories.

When the scientists investigated, they discovered that, on the microscopic scale, the viruses were absolutely enormous. Over a micrometer in size, they are as large as many bacteria, even larger than some of the smallest known free-living eukaryotic cells, and are readily visible using standard microscopes. (The scientists named the virus Pithovirus sibericum because its shape resembled the ancient Greek wine jars called "pithos.")

Fortunately, it appears that the primary threat that this zombie virus poses is to the microscopic amoeba population. Nevertheless, the scientists have also discovered other large viruses, including Pandoraviruses and the "microbe mimicking" virus, or Mimivirus. Although the pathology of these viruses is as yet unknown, antibodies to giant viruses have been detected in humans – which means giant viruses can make us their hosts.

The genetic material of these viruses is unusual and overlaps known lifeforms to a very limited degree, which has the scientific community very intrigued about the possibilities for new discoveries. But only time will tell what else is lurking deep under the frost, waiting to be brought back from the dead...

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