Varsani Lab - the viral kind
We are a wild 'viral' molecular virology research group that works across ecosystems studying viral dynamics.
Our broader objectives are to
- Study viral dynamics in Ross Sea (Antarctica) ecosystem which is recognised as anthropogenically the least-altered marine system on the planet with no evidence indicating introduction or range expansion of any species thus far, despite its changing physical environment.
- Unravel the viral evolutionary dynamics as a consequence of climate change.
- Study viral ecological interaction networks within a microbiome to unravel the dynamics of pathogen emergence.
Arvind Varsani
I am a molecular virologist who works across ecosystems from plants to animals and from the tropics to the Antarctic. My research uses a combination of traditional virology, microscopy (including transmission electron microscopy), molecular and cellular biology techniques in conjunction with modern sequencing techniques, synthetic biology and bioinformatics to characterise viruses and understand their dynamics.
Arizona State University, Tempe, USA
6/2023 - current: Professor at the Biodesign Institute and School of Life Sciences
07/2016 - 6/2023: Associate Professor at the Biodesign Institute and School of Life Sciences
University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
02/2009 - 07/2016: Senior lecturer / researcher in School of Biological Sciences
University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
07/2003 - 09/2008: Lecturer in the Structural Biology Research Unit
University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
1998 - 2003: PhD in Molecular and cell biology
Loughborough University, Loughborough, England
1993 - 1997: BSc, DIS in Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry
Publications
Identification of small circular DNA viruses in coyote fecal samples from Arizona (USA)
Identification of small circular DNA viruses in coyote fecal samples from Arizona (USA)Hess, S. C., Weiss, K. C. B., Custer, J. M., Lewis, J. S., Kraberger, S. & Varsani, A., Jan 2024, In: Archives of virology. 169, 1, 12.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Sex-specific recruitment rates contribute to male-biased sex ratio in Adélie penguins
Sex-specific recruitment rates contribute to male-biased sex ratio in Adélie penguins Morandini, V., Dugger, K. M., Schmidt, A. E., Varsani, A., Lescroël, A., Ballard, G., Lyver, P. O. B., Barton, K. & Ainley, D. G., Feb 2024, In: Ecology and Evolution. 14, 2, e10859. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Diverse Small Circular DNA Viruses Identified in an American Wigeon Fecal Sample
Diverse Small Circular DNA Viruses Identified in an American Wigeon Fecal Sample Olivo, D., Khalifeh, A., Custer, J. M., Kraberger, S. & Varsani, A., Jan 2024, In: Microorganisms. 12, 1, 196. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Interspecies Papillomavirus Type Infection and a Novel Papillomavirus Type in Red Ruffed Lemurs (Varecia rubra)
Interspecies Papillomavirus Type Infection and a Novel Papillomavirus Type in Red Ruffed Lemurs (Varecia rubra) Paietta, E. N., Kraberger, S., Regney, M., Custer, J. M., Ehmke, E., Yoder, A. D. & Varsani, A., Jan 2024, In: Viruses. 16, 1, 37. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Direct detection of canine picornavirus complete coding sequence in wastewater using long-range reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and long-read sequencing
Direct detection of canine picornavirus complete coding sequence in wastewater using long-range reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and long-read sequencing Faleye, T. O. C., Driver, E. M., Wright, J. M., Halden, R. U., Varsani, A. & Scotch, M., Mar 2024, In: Infection, Genetics and Evolution. 118, 105550. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Canine Parvovirus 2C Identified in Dog Feces from Poop Bags Collected from Outdoor Waste Bins in Arizona USA, June 2022
Canine Parvovirus 2C Identified in Dog Feces from Poop Bags Collected from Outdoor Waste Bins in Arizona USA, June 2022 Faleye, T. O. C., Driver, E. M., Bowes, D. A., Smith, A., Kaiser, N. A., Wright, J. M., Chapman, A. R., Halden, R. U., Varsani, A. & Scotch, M., 2023, In: Transboundary and Emerging Diseases. … Read more