THE ESSENTIAL
- The smallest viruses are regarding 20 nanometers in diameter.
- An RNA virus, also called ribovirus, is a virus that uses ribonucleic acid (RNA) as genetic material or needs it in its replication process.
- The most common are SARS, Influenza or the hepatitis C virus.
Researchers at Tel Aviv University have discovered around 100,000 new types of viruses. This represents a nine-fold increase in the number known so far. The work, carried out in collaboration with the American research organizations NIH and JGI as well as the Institut Pasteur, was published in the scientific journal Cell.
New viruses discovered in soil and wastewater
While some viruses are pathogens that can harm humans (like the coronavirus), the vast majority are harmless. Some even live inside our body without our being aware of it. To get a better understanding of these germs, lead author Uri Neri and his team analyzed samples of soil, oceans, lakes, sewage and other ecosystems with a new computer tool. The latter manages to distinguish between the genetic material of RNA viruses and that of their hosts.
It allowed researchers to piece together how viruses underwent various acclimation processes throughout their evolutionary development to adapt to different hosts. Scientists have thus identified 100,000 new types of virus, mainly within the kingdom of Orthornavirae.
A discovery that may lead to new treatments
By analyzing the data, the team has, among other things, brought to light viruses that infect various pathogenic microorganisms. For scientists, it would be possible to use them to develop antimicrobial treatments or protect crops from certain fungi and parasites.
“In our study, we found that RNA viruses are not unusual in the evolutionary landscape and, in fact, in some respects they are not that different from DNA viruses. This opens the door to future research and a better understanding of how viruses can be harnessed for use in medicine and agriculture.”explained Professor Uri Gophna who participated in the research.
