Breaking News: Discovery of 230 New Giant Viruses in Ocean Ecosystems
In an urgent and groundbreaking announcement, scientists from the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science have discovered 230 new giant viruses that play a pivotal role in the survival of unicellular marine organisms, known as protists. This discovery, published in the prestigious journal Nature npj Viruses, has significant implications for marine ecology and human health.
Giant Viruses: The Unsung Heroes of the Ocean
These large DNA viruses are essential for the survival of algae, amoebas, and flagellates, which form the foundation of oceanic food networks. Their role in these ecosystems is critical, as they influence various public health issues, including harmful algal proliferations. The study reveals that these viruses could manipulate their hosts and alter the photosynthetic process during infection, suggesting a profound impact on marine biogeochemistry.
Advancing Our Understanding of Giant Viruses
Mohammad Moniruzzaman, co-author of the study and assistant professor in the Department of Biology and Marine Ecology, commented on the significance of the findings: “By better understanding the diversity and role of giant viruses in the ocean, as well as their interaction with algae and other marine microorganisms, we can predict and possibly manage harmful algal proliferations, which pose a danger to human health in Florida and around the world.” He also emphasized that giant viruses are often the primary cause of death for many phytoplankton, which are fundamental for oceanic ecosystems and food sources.
The Beren Tool: A Breakthrough in Virus Detection
Until recently, giant viruses were largely undetectable due to limitations in bioinformatic methods. To overcome this obstacle, the researchers developed an innovative tool called Beren (bioinformatics tool for the recovery of eukaryotic viruses of environmental metagenomas), designed to identify genomes of giant viruses in extensive sets of public DNA sequencing data. Benjamin Minch, the lead author of the study and a doctoral student in the Department of Biology and Marine Ecology, explained: “We discovered that giant viruses have genes involved in cellular functions such as carbon metabolism and photosynthesis, traditionally found only in cell organisms. This suggests that giant viruses play a disproportionate role in the manipulation of the metabolism of their guests during infection and influence marine biogeochemistry.”
The team used the Pegasus supercomputer of the University of Miami to process and assemble large metagenomas, facilitating the reconstruction of hundreds of libraries of microbial communities. Minch added: “This study allowed us to create a framework that improves existing tools to detect novel viruses, which could help in our ability to monitor pollution and pathogens in our river paths.”
The Evergreen Impact of Giant Viruses
The researchers analyzed DNA sequencing data from nine large global oceanic sampling projects, covering both poles. Using Beren, they managed to recover giant viruses from these data, which were characterized using publicly available gene function databases. These genomes were compared to all known giant virus representatives to identify novel functions. The Beren tool closes a gap in the field of study by providing an easy-to-use tool to identify and classify giant viruses in sequencing data sets. This program is available for anyone interested and can be downloaded from: gitlab.com/benminch1/BEREN.
The study, titled “Expansion of the genomic and functional diversity of giant viruses of the global ocean,” was published on April 21, 2025, in the journal npj viruses. The authors are Benjamin Minch and Mohammad Moniruzzaman from the University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science.
As we continue to unravel the mysteries of the ocean, these groundbreaking discoveries remind us of the intricate balance of marine ecosystems and their profound impact on human health. Stay tuned to archyde.com for more breaking news and evergreen insights into the world of science and technology.
