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Biology

Prehistoric giant virus will be revived by scientists

Prehistoric giant virus will be revived by scientists
Matt Davis
September 11, 2015

Prehistoric giant virus will be revived

Although sounds like a nightmare waiting to happen, it’s actually good news. This particular virus, which is 30,000 years old was found in the Siberian permafrost by a team of French scientists from the French National Center for Scientific Research. They are raising concern that global warming may release dangerous, prehistoric viruses from the Arctic and Sub-Arctic regions, which could infect people.

The newly discovered ancient virus, called Mollivirus sibericum (Siberian soft virus) is 0.6 microns, which qualifies it as a giant virus. This is the team’s second giant virus discovered in Northeastern Russia, in recent years. Unlike the common influenza virus, which is small and has only 8 genes, a prehistoric giant virus has a large and complex genome. Mollivirus has over 500 genes, while the largest giant virus known until now, Pandoravirus has 2,500 genes.

In order to study this giant virus and see what it can do, the researchers must revive it, because they obviously can’t study it frozen and inactive. However, they will conduct the “Frankenstein” experiment in a super safe laboratory, under draconic safety rules. The scientists will then place the giant virus in a Petri dish that has an amoeba as a host. “A few viral particles that are still infectious may be enough, in the presence of a vulnerable host, to revive potentially pathogenic viruses,” said Jean-Michel Claverie, the lead researcher.

The scientist points out that this type of experiment is important because the frozen Siberian regions, which are rich in many resources will get warmer year by year. The permafrost won’t be permanent anymore and hundreds of potentially dangerous viruses could be awaken. “If we are not careful, and we industrialize these areas without putting safeguards in place, we run the risk of one day waking up viruses such as small pox that we thought were eradicated,” added Claverie.

This type of experiment was also done by a team of American scientists, back in 2004. They awoke the Spanish flu virus in order to see why it killed millions of people at the beginning of the 20th century.

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Related Itemsgiant virusglobal warmingpermafrostSiberiaviruses
Biology
September 11, 2015
Matt Davis

Who doesn’t enjoy listening to a good story. Personally I love reading about the people who inspire me and what it took for them to achieve their success. As I am a bit of a self confessed tech geek I think there is no better way to discover these stories than by reading every day some articles or the newspaper . My bookcases are filled with good tech biographies, they remind me that anyone can be a success. So even if you come from an underprivileged part of society or you aren’t the smartest person in the room we all have a chance to reach the top. The same message shines in my beliefs. All it takes to succeed is a good idea, a little risk and a lot of hard work and any geek can become a success. VENI VIDI VICI .

Related Itemsgiant virusglobal warmingpermafrostSiberiaviruses

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