Arvind Varsani
@viralnomad.bsky.social
Nomadic 'viral' scientist #virome #virus #virus_evolution #virology 🇰🇪🇿🇦🇳🇿
Reposted by Arvind Varsani
1/ 🚀 Pathoplexus now supports Marburg virus (MARV) and Ravn virus (RAVN) (sister viruses in the same genus). MARV has two main clades and causes severe disease with reported fatality rates of 24–88%.
You can read more detail about adding Marburg here: pathoplexus.org/news/2025-11...
You can read more detail about adding Marburg here: pathoplexus.org/news/2025-11...
November 28, 2025 at 12:37 PM
1/ 🚀 Pathoplexus now supports Marburg virus (MARV) and Ravn virus (RAVN) (sister viruses in the same genus). MARV has two main clades and causes severe disease with reported fatality rates of 24–88%.
You can read more detail about adding Marburg here: pathoplexus.org/news/2025-11...
You can read more detail about adding Marburg here: pathoplexus.org/news/2025-11...
Reposted by Arvind Varsani
Out now in Nature Communications: Convergent evolution of viral-like Borg archaeal extrachromosomal elements and giant eukaryotic viruses
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@luisvalentin.bsky.social @lingdong-shi.bsky.social @martianmicrobe.bsky.social @mschoelmerich.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@luisvalentin.bsky.social @lingdong-shi.bsky.social @martianmicrobe.bsky.social @mschoelmerich.bsky.social
Convergent evolution of viral-like Borg archaeal extrachromosomal elements and giant eukaryotic viruses - Nature Communications
Borgs are large extrachromosomal elements of anaerobic methane-oxidizing archaea. Here, via in silico protein structure prediction of ~10,000 Borg proteins, the authors reveal that Borgs share numerou...
www.nature.com
November 28, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Out now in Nature Communications: Convergent evolution of viral-like Borg archaeal extrachromosomal elements and giant eukaryotic viruses
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@luisvalentin.bsky.social @lingdong-shi.bsky.social @martianmicrobe.bsky.social @mschoelmerich.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@luisvalentin.bsky.social @lingdong-shi.bsky.social @martianmicrobe.bsky.social @mschoelmerich.bsky.social
Reposted by Arvind Varsani
Check out our latest paper on mirusviruses, one of the most remarkable new groups of protist viruses - extremely diverse, carry lots of spliceosomal introns (including new homing introns) and are at the evolutionary crossroads between tailed phages and herpesviruses! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Widespread and intron-rich mirusviruses are predicted to reproduce in nuclei of unicellular eukaryotes - Nature Microbiology
Environmental metagenomic explorations show that Mirusviricota lineages lack essential replication and transcription genes and contain spliceosomal introns, suggesting nuclear reproduction.
www.nature.com
November 28, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Check out our latest paper on mirusviruses, one of the most remarkable new groups of protist viruses - extremely diverse, carry lots of spliceosomal introns (including new homing introns) and are at the evolutionary crossroads between tailed phages and herpesviruses! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Arvind Varsani
📢 New preprint is out on bioRxiv 📢:
How much does virome prep influence our view of the human gut virome?
Short answer: a lot.
Long answer:
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Different methods lead to distinct community structures, richness, and major virus-host abundance patterns.
🧵 1/5
How much does virome prep influence our view of the human gut virome?
Short answer: a lot.
Long answer:
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Different methods lead to distinct community structures, richness, and major virus-host abundance patterns.
🧵 1/5
November 27, 2025 at 8:44 PM
📢 New preprint is out on bioRxiv 📢:
How much does virome prep influence our view of the human gut virome?
Short answer: a lot.
Long answer:
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Different methods lead to distinct community structures, richness, and major virus-host abundance patterns.
🧵 1/5
How much does virome prep influence our view of the human gut virome?
Short answer: a lot.
Long answer:
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Different methods lead to distinct community structures, richness, and major virus-host abundance patterns.
🧵 1/5
Reposted by Arvind Varsani
How does fever work?
Our new Science paper shows how elevated body temperature can protect against severe influenza and that avian-origin viruses escape this defence.
This is likely one reason why bird flus and some pandemic influenzas can be so severe.🧵
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Our new Science paper shows how elevated body temperature can protect against severe influenza and that avian-origin viruses escape this defence.
This is likely one reason why bird flus and some pandemic influenzas can be so severe.🧵
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Avian-origin influenza A viruses tolerate elevated pyrexic temperatures in mammals
Host body temperature can define a virus’s replicative profile—influenza A viruses (IAVs) adapted to 40° to 42°C in birds are less temperature sensitive in vitro compared with human isolates adapted t...
www.science.org
November 27, 2025 at 7:55 PM
How does fever work?
Our new Science paper shows how elevated body temperature can protect against severe influenza and that avian-origin viruses escape this defence.
This is likely one reason why bird flus and some pandemic influenzas can be so severe.🧵
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Our new Science paper shows how elevated body temperature can protect against severe influenza and that avian-origin viruses escape this defence.
This is likely one reason why bird flus and some pandemic influenzas can be so severe.🧵
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Arvind Varsani
According to the microbial ecologist Puri López-García, pictured here at a salt flat in the Chilean Andes, some 25% to 50% of all bacterial cells may be parasites of other cells.
A Cell So Minimal That It Challenges Definitions of Life | Quanta Magazine
The newly described microbe represents a world of parasitic, intercellular biodiversity only beginning to be revealed by genome sequencing.
www.quantamagazine.org
November 25, 2025 at 9:04 PM
According to the microbial ecologist Puri López-García, pictured here at a salt flat in the Chilean Andes, some 25% to 50% of all bacterial cells may be parasites of other cells.
Reposted by Arvind Varsani
"The hyperreal bat: more vivid, more coherent, and more narratively satisfying than any bat in nature."
Why does the idea of bats as special viral reservoirs endure?
New Substack post:
robertjgifford.substack.com/p/bats-and-v...
Why does the idea of bats as special viral reservoirs endure?
New Substack post:
robertjgifford.substack.com/p/bats-and-v...
Bats and Viruses: Rumour, Intrigue, Deception, and Spectacle
Bats as Hyperreal Reservoirs of Viral Disease
robertjgifford.substack.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:35 PM
"The hyperreal bat: more vivid, more coherent, and more narratively satisfying than any bat in nature."
Why does the idea of bats as special viral reservoirs endure?
New Substack post:
robertjgifford.substack.com/p/bats-and-v...
Why does the idea of bats as special viral reservoirs endure?
New Substack post:
robertjgifford.substack.com/p/bats-and-v...
Reposted by Arvind Varsani
Biogeography and host interactions of CPR and DPANN viruses in acid mine drainage sediments | Nature Communications https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-65461-0
Biogeography and host interactions of CPR and DPANN viruses in acid mine drainage sediments - Nature Communications
The ecological role of viruses for CPR bacteria and DPANN archaea remains understudied. Here, the authors apply metagenomic approaches to study the biogeographic distribution of CPR and DPANN viruses in acid mine drainage sediments and elucidate their complex interplays.
www.nature.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Biogeography and host interactions of CPR and DPANN viruses in acid mine drainage sediments | Nature Communications https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-65461-0
Diversity of polyomaviruses and papillomaviruses in penguins from eastern and western Antarctica - www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...
Diversity of polyomaviruses and papillomaviruses in penguins from eastern and western Antarctica
Polyomaviruses and papillomaviruses are icosahedral viruses with small circular dsDNA genomes. Limited information on their diversity and evolution in avian hosts is available, with even less known re...
www.microbiologyresearch.org
November 26, 2025 at 2:54 AM
Diversity of polyomaviruses and papillomaviruses in penguins from eastern and western Antarctica - www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...
Reposted by Arvind Varsani
Studying penguin virology in #Antarctica:
@arizonastateuni.bsky.social researchers lead in discovery of new viruses in Antarctic penguins, expanding knowledge of polar ecosystems @viralnomad.bsky.social
news.asu.edu/b/20251124-s...
@arizonastateuni.bsky.social researchers lead in discovery of new viruses in Antarctic penguins, expanding knowledge of polar ecosystems @viralnomad.bsky.social
news.asu.edu/b/20251124-s...
November 25, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Studying penguin virology in #Antarctica:
@arizonastateuni.bsky.social researchers lead in discovery of new viruses in Antarctic penguins, expanding knowledge of polar ecosystems @viralnomad.bsky.social
news.asu.edu/b/20251124-s...
@arizonastateuni.bsky.social researchers lead in discovery of new viruses in Antarctic penguins, expanding knowledge of polar ecosystems @viralnomad.bsky.social
news.asu.edu/b/20251124-s...
Reposted by Arvind Varsani
Oh no!
🧪🌎🦑🦉🦊
🧪🌎🦑🦉🦊
Australian authorities have confirmed the highly contagious H5 bird flu has reached Heard Island, about 4000km south-west of Perth and 1700km north of #Antarctica. High mortality rates in elephant seals have been observed in October, but no impacts on penguins and seabirds via @9news.bsky.social
Deadly bird flu strain reaches Australian territory for the first time
The deadly and highly contagious H5 bird flu has been confirmed in elephant seals on the Australian territ...
www.9news.com.au
November 25, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Oh no!
🧪🌎🦑🦉🦊
🧪🌎🦑🦉🦊
Reposted by Arvind Varsani
🚨 Another funded PhD alert🚨
We are recruiting again! For a PhD student to start with us in the @langridgelab.bsky.social October 2026 - please share 👀
If you are interested in foodborne pathogens, public health and phage, look no further 🦠🏥🧬
➡️ tinyurl.com/3zvavp2t ⬅️
Apply by 6 Jan 2026 🗓️
We are recruiting again! For a PhD student to start with us in the @langridgelab.bsky.social October 2026 - please share 👀
If you are interested in foodborne pathogens, public health and phage, look no further 🦠🏥🧬
➡️ tinyurl.com/3zvavp2t ⬅️
Apply by 6 Jan 2026 🗓️
October 28, 2025 at 1:17 PM
🚨 Another funded PhD alert🚨
We are recruiting again! For a PhD student to start with us in the @langridgelab.bsky.social October 2026 - please share 👀
If you are interested in foodborne pathogens, public health and phage, look no further 🦠🏥🧬
➡️ tinyurl.com/3zvavp2t ⬅️
Apply by 6 Jan 2026 🗓️
We are recruiting again! For a PhD student to start with us in the @langridgelab.bsky.social October 2026 - please share 👀
If you are interested in foodborne pathogens, public health and phage, look no further 🦠🏥🧬
➡️ tinyurl.com/3zvavp2t ⬅️
Apply by 6 Jan 2026 🗓️
Reposted by Arvind Varsani
📢 We have an open position for a postdoc to join my lab. It's a great position @animecol-uu.bsky.social, fully salaried for 2.5 years with all benefits.
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
The project is about transmission patterns of bacteria and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in aquatic insects. 🧬🦠 (1/3)
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
The project is about transmission patterns of bacteria and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in aquatic insects. 🧬🦠 (1/3)
Postdoctoral researcher in molecular ecology - Uppsala University
Postdoctoral researcher in molecular ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University
www.uu.se
October 27, 2025 at 7:43 AM
📢 We have an open position for a postdoc to join my lab. It's a great position @animecol-uu.bsky.social, fully salaried for 2.5 years with all benefits.
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
The project is about transmission patterns of bacteria and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in aquatic insects. 🧬🦠 (1/3)
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
The project is about transmission patterns of bacteria and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in aquatic insects. 🧬🦠 (1/3)
Reposted by Arvind Varsani
warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fa...
I am advertising for a PhD position in my group. We'll be investigating how pathogenic RNA viruses replicate in the nucleus. The project will teach cryoEM/ET, virus culture, and in vitro assays.
If you're interested reach out and I'd be happy to have a chat.
I am advertising for a PhD position in my group. We'll be investigating how pathogenic RNA viruses replicate in the nucleus. The project will teach cryoEM/ET, virus culture, and in vitro assays.
If you're interested reach out and I'd be happy to have a chat.
Dr Jeremy Keown
Dr Jeremy Keown
warwick.ac.uk
October 24, 2025 at 7:58 AM
warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fa...
I am advertising for a PhD position in my group. We'll be investigating how pathogenic RNA viruses replicate in the nucleus. The project will teach cryoEM/ET, virus culture, and in vitro assays.
If you're interested reach out and I'd be happy to have a chat.
I am advertising for a PhD position in my group. We'll be investigating how pathogenic RNA viruses replicate in the nucleus. The project will teach cryoEM/ET, virus culture, and in vitro assays.
If you're interested reach out and I'd be happy to have a chat.
Reposted by Arvind Varsani
Our department @ucdavisvetmed.bsky.social @ucdavis.bsky.social is hiring! We welcome research that diversifies or complements existing strengths in gastrointestinal, neuroimmune, musculoskeletal, cardiorespiratory
systems and/or developmental biology. @socdevbio.bsky.social @ascbiology.bsky.social
systems and/or developmental biology. @socdevbio.bsky.social @ascbiology.bsky.social
October 22, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Our department @ucdavisvetmed.bsky.social @ucdavis.bsky.social is hiring! We welcome research that diversifies or complements existing strengths in gastrointestinal, neuroimmune, musculoskeletal, cardiorespiratory
systems and/or developmental biology. @socdevbio.bsky.social @ascbiology.bsky.social
systems and/or developmental biology. @socdevbio.bsky.social @ascbiology.bsky.social
Reposted by Arvind Varsani
Our @narjournal.bsky.social manuscript is out! It explores the growth of the GTDB (gtdb.ecogenomic.org) since its inception, as well as updates to the website, methodology, policies, and major taxonomic and nomenclatural changes over the past three years.
academic.oup.com/nar/advance-...
academic.oup.com/nar/advance-...
GTDB release 10: a complete and systematic taxonomy for 715 230 bacterial and 17 245 archaeal genomes
Abstract. The Genome Taxonomy Database (GTDB; https://gtdb.ecogenomic.org) provides a phylogenetically consistent and rank normalized genome-based taxonomy
academic.oup.com
October 22, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Our @narjournal.bsky.social manuscript is out! It explores the growth of the GTDB (gtdb.ecogenomic.org) since its inception, as well as updates to the website, methodology, policies, and major taxonomic and nomenclatural changes over the past three years.
academic.oup.com/nar/advance-...
academic.oup.com/nar/advance-...
Reposted by Arvind Varsani
Now published: EnVhogDB, a large database of viral protein family HMM profiles to help functional annotation of new phage genomes - peercommunityjournal.org/articles/10....
EnVhogDB: an extended view of the viral protein families on Earth through a vast collection of HMM profiles
peercommunityjournal.org
October 18, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Now published: EnVhogDB, a large database of viral protein family HMM profiles to help functional annotation of new phage genomes - peercommunityjournal.org/articles/10....
Reposted by Arvind Varsani
Pandas, snow leopards...and bacteria. A newly formed team of scientists is setting out to conserve the world's diversity of microbes. Here's my story: nyti.ms/47vEfRC
October 17, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Pandas, snow leopards...and bacteria. A newly formed team of scientists is setting out to conserve the world's diversity of microbes. Here's my story: nyti.ms/47vEfRC
Reposted by Arvind Varsani
We are recuiting two new Associate Professors here in Oxford Biochemistry. Come join us! Reach out to me if you have any questions. Please repost! tinyurl.com/mr3m7bd3
October 17, 2025 at 2:56 PM
We are recuiting two new Associate Professors here in Oxford Biochemistry. Come join us! Reach out to me if you have any questions. Please repost! tinyurl.com/mr3m7bd3
Reposted by Arvind Varsani
Now with the correct link:
We reviewed the "Molecular Mechanisms of Poxvirus Evolution"
We show that poxviruses have highly adaptable genomes, and are not sluggishly evolving, as often described.
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
We reviewed the "Molecular Mechanisms of Poxvirus Evolution"
We show that poxviruses have highly adaptable genomes, and are not sluggishly evolving, as often described.
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
October 16, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Now with the correct link:
We reviewed the "Molecular Mechanisms of Poxvirus Evolution"
We show that poxviruses have highly adaptable genomes, and are not sluggishly evolving, as often described.
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
We reviewed the "Molecular Mechanisms of Poxvirus Evolution"
We show that poxviruses have highly adaptable genomes, and are not sluggishly evolving, as often described.
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Reposted by Arvind Varsani
Check out our paper on intricate nested interactions between viruses and virus satellites of haloarchaea and their nanosized DPANN symbionts. Excellent collaboration with @deemteam.bsky.social, @anagtz.bsky.social and Michail Yakimov
Free access link: rdcu.be/eLtCH
🧵 by @yifanzhou.bsky.social 👇
Free access link: rdcu.be/eLtCH
🧵 by @yifanzhou.bsky.social 👇
Our work on viruses and virus satellites of haloarchaea and their DPANN symbionts is out today in Nature Microbiology!
@mkrupovic.bsky.social @deemteam.bsky.social @anagtz.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@mkrupovic.bsky.social @deemteam.bsky.social @anagtz.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Viruses and virus satellites of haloarchaea and their nanosized DPANN symbionts reveal intricate nested interactions - Nature Microbiology
An exploration of the viromes of haloarchaea and their ultra-small DPANN symbionts reveals plasmid-derived satellites of viruses from both archaeal groups, highlighting the complexity of nested symbio...
www.nature.com
October 17, 2025 at 10:28 AM
Check out our paper on intricate nested interactions between viruses and virus satellites of haloarchaea and their nanosized DPANN symbionts. Excellent collaboration with @deemteam.bsky.social, @anagtz.bsky.social and Michail Yakimov
Free access link: rdcu.be/eLtCH
🧵 by @yifanzhou.bsky.social 👇
Free access link: rdcu.be/eLtCH
🧵 by @yifanzhou.bsky.social 👇
Reposted by Arvind Varsani
Excited to see our recent paper get covered by Pitt media!
Terrific writeup of our new paper led by @nanamikubota.bsky.social, thanks Pitt media!
www.medschool.pitt.edu/news/bacteri...
www.medschool.pitt.edu/news/bacteri...
Bacteria Can Use Viruses to Kill Other Bacteria, Pitt Researchers Find | School of Medicine | University of Pittsburgh
Many bacteria, including the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, are chronically infected by viruses that can reproduce without killing the cell. These viruses, called filamentous phages, t...
www.medschool.pitt.edu
October 15, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Excited to see our recent paper get covered by Pitt media!
Reposted by Arvind Varsani
Our lab's first paper is out! Led by Jordan Ort, we developed NextClade datasets that enable rapid H5 clade assignment via NextClade. We deployed these during the start of the H5 cattle outbreak, and we finally published the paper in Virus Evolution academic.oup.com/ve/article/1...
Development of avian influenza A(H5) virus datasets for Nextclade enables rapid and accurate clade assignment
Abstract. The 2022 panzootic of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5) viruses has led to unprecedented transmission to multiple mammalian species.
academic.oup.com
October 15, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Our lab's first paper is out! Led by Jordan Ort, we developed NextClade datasets that enable rapid H5 clade assignment via NextClade. We deployed these during the start of the H5 cattle outbreak, and we finally published the paper in Virus Evolution academic.oup.com/ve/article/1...
Reposted by Arvind Varsani
Very excited to share the latest work from our lab, which was published today in Nature!
nature.com/articles/s41...
PhD graduate and now post-doc Sofia Dahlman, along with co-senior author Sam Forster from The Hudson and other researchers from our lab and others.
nature.com/articles/s41...
PhD graduate and now post-doc Sofia Dahlman, along with co-senior author Sam Forster from The Hudson and other researchers from our lab and others.
Isolation, engineering and ecology of temperate phages from the human gut - Nature
Human host-associated cellular products may act as induction agents for bacteriophages.
nature.com
October 15, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Very excited to share the latest work from our lab, which was published today in Nature!
nature.com/articles/s41...
PhD graduate and now post-doc Sofia Dahlman, along with co-senior author Sam Forster from The Hudson and other researchers from our lab and others.
nature.com/articles/s41...
PhD graduate and now post-doc Sofia Dahlman, along with co-senior author Sam Forster from The Hudson and other researchers from our lab and others.
Reposted by Arvind Varsani
Maud Menten was born in Canada in 1879 and completed her UG and MD education at University of Toronto. As a research assistant with Leonor Michaelis in 1912, they wrote the classic paper describing the “Michaelis-Menten” model of enzyme kinetics.. #WomenInScience
October 16, 2025 at 1:02 AM
Maud Menten was born in Canada in 1879 and completed her UG and MD education at University of Toronto. As a research assistant with Leonor Michaelis in 1912, they wrote the classic paper describing the “Michaelis-Menten” model of enzyme kinetics.. #WomenInScience