Belinda Smith

Because it's passed down to the next generation and it's intrinsic within their genome as well.

Exactly.

Okay, so what do some of these stretches of viral DNA mean for us humans living and breathing today?

And what about some of the more positive effects of these viral DNA stretches?

Any other mammal really wouldn't exist if a virus, however many years ago, hadn't stuck a little bit of its genome into maybe the egg or sperm cell of some primitive pre-mammal animal.

So is there the possibility that viruses are adding more DNA to our genomes as we speak?

Do we know what these koala viral hanger-on-ers are doing to the koalas?

Desiree Cox from the University of Wollongong.

And koalas, who knew?

Thanks, Bill.

This is the Science Show on Radio National, where we try to explore the wealth of research outside big capital cities.

And the present theme is Northern Queensland.

Why?

Well, there's a centre of excellence at the James Cook University, particularly using indigenous knowledge as a source of ideas and to apply to creating a local industry to help everybody in so many ways.

Meet PhD student Deanne Walter and Professor Alec Lucas, Distinguished Professor and Director of the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine.

And they're worms.

Tell me, what are we looking at?

There's a screen, so we're not seeing them directly, but they're looking like several elegant worms wriggling around.

What are they?

The human hookworm, and you said the rat worm.