Mutation rate variability in viral populations: Implications for lethal mutagenesis

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Number 2, January 2026.
ImportanceRNA viruses mutate at high rates. Some antiviral drugs work by further increasing these levels to unsustainable levels, a process called lethal mutagenesis. In this work, we discover that mutation rates vary significantly over the course of the virus…