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 novel fish papillomaviruses: From the Antarctic to the commercial fish market
Discovery of novel fish papillomaviruses: From the Antarctic to the commercial fish market Kraberger, S., Austin, C., Farkas, K., Desvignes, T., Postlethwait, J. H., Fontenele, R. S., Schmidlin, K., Bradley, R. W., Warzybok, P., Van Doorslaer, K., Davison, W., Buck, C. B. & Varsani, A., Jan 2 2022, In: Virology. 565, p. 65-72 8 p.Research … Read more
Diverse single-stranded DNA viruses identified in New Zealand (Aotearoa) South Island robin (Petroica australis) fecal samples
Diverse single-stranded DNA viruses identified in New Zealand (Aotearoa) South Island robin (Petroica australis) fecal samples Custer, J. M., White, R., Taylor, H., Schmidlin, K., Fontenele, R. S., Stainton, D., Kraberger, S., Briskie, J. V. & Varsani, A., Jan 2 2022, In: Virology. 565, p. 38-51 14 p. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article … Read more
Perspective on taxonomic classification of uncultivated viruses
Perspective on taxonomic classification of uncultivated viruses Dutilh, B. E., Varsani, A., Tong, Y., Simmonds, P., Sabanadzovic, S., Rubino, L., Roux, S., Muñoz, A. R., Lood, C., Lefkowitz, E. J., Kuhn, J. H., Krupovic, M., Edwards, R. A., Brister, J. R., Adriaenssens, E. M. & Sullivan, M. B., Dec 2021, In: Current opinion in virology. … Read more
An investigation of antibacterial activity of New Zealand seaweed-associated marine bacteria
An investigation of antibacterial activity of New Zealand seaweed-associated marine bacteria Tangestani, M., Broady, P. & Varsani, A., Oct 2021, In: Future Microbiology. 16, 15, p. 1167-1179 13 p. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Known and new emerging viruses infecting blueberry
Known and new emerging viruses infecting blueberry Saad, N., Olmstead, J. W., Jones, J. B., Varsani, A. & Harmon, P. F., Oct 2021, In: Plants. 10, 10, 2172. Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Adaptation of the polony technique to quantify Gokushovirinae, a diverse group of single-stranded DNA phage
Adaptation of the polony technique to quantify Gokushovirinae, a diverse group of single-stranded DNA phage Sawaya, N. A., Baran, N., Mahank, S., Varsani, A., Lindell, D. & Breitbart, M., 2021, (Accepted/In press) In: Environmental microbiology. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
