A team of researchers from Tianjin University in northern China say they have made important progress in understanding how the Zika virus replicates.

They published their findings in the Protein & Cell research journal. According to researchers, in the process of replication, nearly all viruses need enzymes called helicases to break down proteins.

The team has managed to obtain an image of the Zika virus enzyme at a scale of about one hundred millionth of a centimeter.

They say they have identified the three-dimensional structure of the Zika virus genome, which will help scientists develop drugs to treat the disease.