A retrovirus is an RNA virus that is duplicated in a host cell using the reverse transcriptase enzyme to produce DNA from its RNA genome. The DNA is then incorporated into the host's genome by an integrase enzyme. The virus thereafter replicates as part of the host cell's DNA. Retroviruses are enveloped viruses that belong to the viral family Retroviridae.

A special variant of retroviruses are endogenous retroviruses which are integrated into the genome of the host and inherited across generations.

The virus itself stores its nucleic acid in the form of a +mRNA (including the 5'cap and 3'PolyA inside the virion) genome and serves as a means of delivery of that genome into cells it targets as an obligate parasite, and constitutes the infection. Once in the host's cell, the RNA strands undergo reverse transcription in the cytoplasm and are integrated into the host's genome, at which point the retroviral DNA is referred to as a provirus. It is difficult to detect the virus until it has infected the host.

Lydia Lunch (born Lydia Anne Koch, June 2, 1959, Rochester, New York) is an American singer, poet, writer, and actress whose career was spawned by the New York No Wave scene. The Boston Phoenix named Lunch "one of the 10 most influential performers of the 1990s."

Her work typically features provocative and confrontational delivery and has maintained an anti-commercial ethic^{[citation needed]}, operating independently of major labels and distributors.

Lydia Lunch moved to New York City from Rochester at the age of 13 in 1973 with what she described having nothing but "a small red suitcase, a winter coat, and a big fucking attitude." Lunch moved into a communal household of artists and musicians in NYC, including Kitty Bruce, daughter of Lenny Bruce^{[citation needed]}. Soon Willy DeVille gave her the name "Lunch" because she often stole lunches from The Dead Boys. After befriending Alan Vega and Martin Rev at Max's Kansas City, she founded the short-lived but influential No Wave band Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, with James Chance. Both Teenage Jesus and the Jerks and The Contortions, Chance's subsequent band, played on the No Wave compilation No New York, produced by Brian Eno. Lunch later appeared on two songs on James White and the Blacks album, Off-White.

Weasel Walter is a composer and instrumentalist who founded the band The Flying Luttenbachers in Chicago in 1991 with late jazz cult figure Hal Russell and is a current member of Cellular Chaos and Behold...The Arctopus. Over the years, The Flying Luttenbachers included noted Chicago musicians such as Ken Vandermark, Jeb Bishop, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Dylan Posa, and Michael Colligan, while creating an uncompromising and mercurial body of abstract music drawing equally from no wave, death metal, free jazz, gamelan, noise music, hardcore punk and modern classical. Walter moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2003, where he formed the latest of many Luttenbachers lineups, remaining on percussion with the addition of bassist Mike Green (Burmese), and virtuoso guitarist Ed Rodriguez (ex-Colossamite, Gorge Trio). Singular guitar phenomenon Mick Barr (Octis, Orthrelm) joined the group in 2005. The Flying Luttenbachers ceased to operate in late 2007. In addition to leading various free jazz ensembles under his own name, currently he is a member of Burmese. On November 25, 2009, Weasel Walter announced that he was moving to New York City to join the band Behold... The Arctopus on drums and will be writing "new, more extreme material from scratch." Since moving back to New York, he has also formed Cellular Chaos with Marc Edwards (drummer) and Ceci Moss.

Algis Kizys (born in Chicago, 1960) is a New York City bass guitarist most well known for his long-time membership in No Wave indie band Swans. First joining Swans on 1986s Greed LP, he stayed with the group through The Great Annihilator (1995). He is also a founding member Of Cabbages and Kings an off-shoot of Bag People.

Of Cabbages and Kings featured Kizys, founder/guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist/producer Carolyn Master, Vinnie Signorelli (Unsane), Ted Parsons (Prong, Swans, Godflesh, Jesu, Teledubgnosis) and Diane Wlezein. Kizys, Master, and Wlezein previously played in Bag People.

Kizys has spent time in Foetus' live incarnation and played for Glenn Branca in his Symphony No. 6.

Kizys was a member of Problem Dogs, his first band formed with Rick Radtke, John Connors, and Demetra Plakas (who later played drums with L7).

During this time, August 1982, he briefly joined forces with local guitar god Edward "Phast Eddie" Lines to play several shows at the renowned Space Place in Chicago. Billed as the Phlegm Magnets, Kizys, Lines, Connors and Plakas became quite popular as these shows somehow attracted both derelicts, audiophiles and the DEA alike.

Robert Bertelli, better known as Bob Bert, is an American rock drummer.

Bert is the son of the quarterback Angelo Bertelli. Based in Hoboken, New Jersey, Bert initially came to prominence as drummer for the experimental rock band Sonic Youth during the early to mid-1980s. Bert played on the Sonic Youth releases Confusion Is Sex, Sonic Death, and Bad Moon Rising. After Bad Moon Rising, Bert quit the group. Sonic Youth replaced Bert with drummer Steve Shelley.

Bert contributed during the last half of the 1980s as percussionist for noise band Pussy Galore, as well as their splinter group Boss Hog.

In the early 1990s, Bert drummed for the Chrome Cranks (which also included Peter Aaron on vocals; Jerry Teel on bass; and William Weber on stun guitar).

After the dissolution of the Cranks, Bert joined forces with guitarist Kid Congo, guitarist Jack Martin, bassist/vocalist Jerry Teel and organist Barry London in the rootsy New York City band Knoxville Girls.

Throughout, Bert managed to release a handful of recordings by his percussive/concussive vehicle Bewitched. Releases by Bewitched include the Chocolate Frenzy 12" EP; some albums, including Harshing My Mellow on No. 6 Records; and the "Hey White Homie" 7" on Sub Pop. Bewitched toured with S.Y. and STP (short-lived NYC all-female foxcore band which included PG guitarist Julie Cafritz) during the summer of 1990, the year Goo was released.