Poll - New Virus Paradigm Proposal

[Elite]

  Proposed New Virus Paradigm  

Sysvars

.vrepro ~ a virus can replicate by placing a number in this sysvar
.retro ~ a virus can insert some of its own DNA into it's host's genome using this sysvar

.mkvirus ~ create a new virus (from the specified codule number)
.mkretro ~ create a new retrovirus (from the specified codule number)

Methods of infection

• Feeding - If a 'healthy' bot feeds on an 'infected' bot then there is a chance that some viruses will return to the attacking bot as it recieves energy from the infected bot.
• Death - If an infected bot dies the all the viruses contained in it will be scattered with the 'poof', bursting out of the cell and infecting any nearby bots. If they don't hit anything, the viruses will slow to a stop and linger for a short time before vanishing

Order of execution

When viruses enter a host cell, they are added to a 'viral stack' and all executed in order every cycle. The viruses that were there first are executed first.

Retroviruses

A virus can incorporate some of it's genetic material into it's host using the .retro sysvar. A retrovirus will automatically incorporate itself into it's host's DNA. If a bot uses the .mkretro sysvar to create a retrovirus, then it will stay in the bot until passed on to another bot, at which point it will permanently insert into it's host's genome.

Reducing your chances of infection

Your chances of infection will be reduced by having slime layer. The more slime you have the greater chance you have of not being infected if a virus hits you. If you have no slime then an incoming virus will infect you by default.

When metabolism etc. is implemented, there will be ways configure viruses for various cell materials etc. For the moment I'm sticking with slime.

Mutations

Viruses will mutate when made or copied (.mkvirus, .vrepro etc.) and may also undergo point mutations (at a slightly faster rate than bots), when in a host.

The logic behind my proposal

All I'm doing here is giving genes the tools to spread and making it easier for self-replicating viruses to appear and evolve. 'My' viruses are essentially free floating genes/codules that have learned to reproduce.

HGT is possible with retroviruses. Altzimering into .mkretro (or .mkvirus) may transfer genetic material to another bot. Hopefully, it should be easier for self-replicating viruses to appear and evolve alsongside bots.

The current virus system acts far too much like a shot IMO. It is artificial, overpowered, transitory in evo sims and acts like a weapon rather than a tool for spreading DNA. Our current viruses will also eventually wipe out everything once they are introduced.

I propose that 'controlled' HGT (ie. under the guidance of the bots) should be made the realm of ties, the current virus system should be scrapped and this system should be implemented in it's place.

[shvarz]

Nice idea but far from being ready to implement.  Too much stuff is missing.  Such as: how much DNA is included in the virus?  Where does the retro copy go when inserted into genome?

[Numsgil]

How long does it take to copy a strand of DNA (the old system took like 2 cycles per BP, but bot reproduction was instantaneous).

Among others.

I like to sit on most ideas for at least a month before thinking they're "done".

[Henk]

I agree with Nums, let's sit on this one.

[Elite]

OK. I'm fine with whatever you guys agree on

What I liked most was the idea of viruses spreading when a cell dies.

I've had some more ideas about HGT and viruses and think that the best way to go would be to give DNA a physical representation in the DBverse and go from there.

I don't like making new systems for every feature we want.  The result always feels a little patchwork.  I'd rather see several related features all emergent from a single mechanism.

This article talks (briefly) about the possible origins of viruses.
This is the one I personally subscribe to.

As to HGT:
Wikipedia talks about three methods for HGT:

Transformation, Transduction, and Bacterial conjugation.

Bacterial Conjugation most closely resembles passing DNA through ties.  Transduction is what I would consider the origin of viruses in DB to be.  Transduction is passing of genetic material via virus like things.  Imagine such a codule learning to pass itself through Transduction instead of relying on the host.

Transformation is the absorption of random strands of genetic material floating around randomly in the environment.  I don't really see a point in modelling this personally.

Anyway, that's why I'd like to see viruses be an outgrowth of HGT mechanisms.

^ From the other thread. Thought it was relevant