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
07/2016 - Current: 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
Discovery of known and novel viruses in wild and cultivated blueberry in florida through viral metagenomic approaches
Discovery of known and novel viruses in wild and cultivated blueberry in florida through viral metagenomic approaches Saad, N., Olmstead, J. W., Varsani, A., Polston, J. E., Jones, J. B., Folimonova, S. Y. & Harmon, P. F., Jun 2021, In: Viruses. 13, 6, 1165.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
New world cactaceae plants harbor diverse geminiviruses
New world cactaceae plants harbor diverse geminiviruses Fontenele, R. S., Salywon, A. M., Majure, L. C., Cobb, I. N., Bhaskara, A., Avalos-Calleros, J. A., Argüello-Astorga, G. R., Schmidlin, K., Khalifeh, A., Smith, K., Schreck, J., Lund, M. C., Köhler, M., Wojciechowski, M. F., Hodgson, W. C., Puente-Martinez, R., Van Doorslaer, K., Kumari, S., Oyeniran, K. … Read more
A pilot study investigating the dynamics of pigeon circovirus recombination in domesticated pigeons housed in a single loft
A pilot study investigating the dynamics of pigeon circovirus recombination in domesticated pigeons housed in a single loft Khalifeh, A., Kraberger, S., Dziewulska, D., Varsani, A. & Stenzel, T., Jun 2021, In: Viruses. 13, 6, 964. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Identification of novel circovirus and anelloviruses from wolverines using a non-invasive faecal sampling approach
Identification of novel circovirus and anelloviruses from wolverines using a non-invasive faecal sampling approach Bandoo, R. A., Bautista, J., Lund, M., Newkirk, E., Squires, J., Varsani, A. & Kraberger, S., Sep 2021, In: Infection, Genetics and Evolution. 93, 104914. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Genome sequences of microviruses identified in a sample from a sewage treatment oxidation pond
Genome sequences of microviruses identified in a sample from a sewage treatment oxidation pond Kraberger, S., Schreck, J., Galilee, C. & Varsani, A., May 2021, In: Microbiology Resource Announcements. 10, 19, e00373-21. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Molecular Epidemiology of Citrus Leprosis Virus C: A New Viral Lineage and Phylodynamic of the Main Viral Subpopulations in the Americas
Molecular Epidemiology of Citrus Leprosis Virus C: A New Viral Lineage and Phylodynamic of the Main Viral Subpopulations in the Americas Chabi-Jesus, C., Ramos-González, P. L., Postclam-Barro, M., Fontenele, R. S., Harakava, R., Bassanezi, R. B., Moreira, A. S., Kitajima, E. W., Varsani, A. & Freitas-Astúa, J., Apr 29 2021, In: Frontiers in Microbiology. 12, … Read more
