Strange virus-like replicators discovered in the human gut

A previously unknown type of replicating agent, far smaller and simpler than a virus, has been found in the human gut. These entities have been called “obelisks” by their discoverers.

The obelisks are a “completely new category”, says Beatriz Navarro at the Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection in Bari, Italy, who wasn’t involved in the find. She calls them “a very impressive discovery” that…