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
Detection of human, porcine and canine picornaviruses in municipal sewage sludge using pan-enterovirus amplicon-based long-read Illumina sequencing
Detection of human, porcine and canine picornaviruses in municipal sewage sludge using pan-enterovirus amplicon-based long-read Illumina sequencing Faleye, T. O. C., Driver, E. M., Bowes, D. A., Holm, R. H., Talley, D., Yeager, R., Bhatnagar, A., Smith, T., Varsani, A., Halden, R. U. & Scotch, M., 2022, In: Emerging Microbes and Infections. 11, 1, p. … Read more
Poxvirus infection in house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus): Genome sequence analysis and patterns of infection in wild birds
Poxvirus infection in house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus): Genome sequence analysis and patterns of infection in wild birds McGraw, K. J., Aguiar de Souza Penha, V., Drake, D. J., Kraberger, S. & Varsani, A., 2022, (Accepted/In press) In: Transboundary and Emerging Diseases. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Microvirus Genomes Identified in Fecal Samples from Yellow-Bellied Marmots
Microvirus Genomes Identified in Fecal Samples from Yellow-Bellied Marmots Tijerino, C. L., Blumstein, D. T., Kraberger, S. & Varsani, A., Feb 2022, In: Microbiology Resource Announcements. 11, 2, e01218-21. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Identification of a Novel Myxoma Virus C7-Like Host Range Factor That Enabled a Species Leap from Rabbits to Hares
Identification of a Novel Myxoma Virus C7-Like Host Range Factor That Enabled a Species Leap from Rabbits to Hares Águeda-Pinto, A., Kraberger, S., Everts, A., Gutierrez-Jensen, A., Glenn, H. L., Dalton, K. P., Podadera, A., Parra, F., Martinez-Haro, M., Viñuelas, J. A., Varsani, A., McFadden, G., Rahman, M. M. & Esteves, P. J., Apr 2022, … Read more
Genomes of Bacteriophages Belonging to the Orders Caudovirales and Petitvirales Identified in Fecal Samples from Pacific Flying Fox (Pteropus tonganus) from the Kingdom of Tonga
Genomes of Bacteriophages Belonging to the Orders Caudovirales and Petitvirales Identified in Fecal Samples from Pacific Flying Fox (Pteropus tonganus) from the Kingdom of Tonga Lopez, J. K. M., Aleamotu’a, M., Kami, V., Stainton, D., Lund, M. C., Kraberger, S. & Varsani, A., Feb 2022, In: Microbiology Resource Announcements. 11, 2, e00038-22. Research output: Contribution … Read more
Coevolutionary Analysis Implicates Toll-Like Receptor 9 in Papillomavirus Restriction
Coevolutionary Analysis Implicates Toll-Like Receptor 9 in Papillomavirus Restriction King, K., Larsen, B. B., Gryseels, S., Richet, C., Kraberger, S., Jackson, R., Worobey, M., Harrison, J. S., Varsani, A. & Van Doorslaer, K., Apr 2022, In: mBio. 13, 2 Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
