Varsani Lab

Molecular Virology Lab

Varsani Lab @ The Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, USA; arvind.varsani[at]asu.edu

Varsani Lab - the viral kind

We are a wild 'viral' molecular virology research group that works across ecosystems studying viral dynamics.

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Our broader objectives are to

  1. 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.
  2. Unravel the viral evolutionary dynamics as a consequence of climate change.
  3. 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

ASU Now - Arvind Varsani portrait - Tempe campus - Biodesign - January 23rd, 2020  Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics associate professor and associate faculty in the Biodesign Center for Mechanisms of Evolution Arvind Varsani poses for a portrait at Biodesign on the Tempe campus Thursday evening on January 23rd, 2020. Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Publications

Virus taxonomy and the role of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV)

June 8, 2023

Virus taxonomy and the role of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV)Siddell, S. G., Smith, D. B., Adriaenssens, E., Alfenas-Zerbini, P., Dutilh, B. E., Garcia, M. L., Junglen, S., Krupovic, M., Kuhn, J. H., Lambert, A. J., Lefkowitz, E. J., Łobocka, M., Mushegian, A. R., Oksanen, H. M., Robertson, D. L., Rubino, L., … Read more

Reekeekee- and roodoodooviruses, two different Microviridae clades constituted by the smallest DNA phages

June 8, 2023

Reekeekee- and roodoodooviruses, two different Microviridae clades constituted by the smallest DNA phages Olo Ndela, E., Roux, S., Henke, C., Sczyrba, A., Sime Ngando, T., Varsani, A. & Enault, F., 2023, In: Virus Evolution. 9, 1, veac123. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Four principles to establish a universal virus taxonomy

May 25, 2023

Four principles to establish a universal virus taxonomy Simmonds, P., Adriaenssens, E. M., Murilo Zerbini, F., Abrescia, N. G. A., Aiewsakun, P., Alfenas-Zerbini, P., Bao, Y., Barylski, J., Drosten, C., Duffy, S., Paul Duprex, W., Dutilh, B. E., Elena, S. F., García, M. L., Junglen, S., Katzourakis, A., Koonin, E. V., Krupovic, M., Kuhn, J. … Read more

DNA virome composition of two sympatric wild felids, bobcat (Lynx rufus) and puma (Puma concolor) in Sonora, Mexico

May 25, 2023

DNA virome composition of two sympatric wild felids, bobcat (Lynx rufus) and puma (Puma concolor) in Sonora, Mexico Payne, N., Combrink, L., Kraberger, S., Fontenele, R. S., Schmidlin, K., Cassaigne, I., Culver, M., Varsani, A. & Van Doorslaer, K., 2023, In: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 11, 1126149. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article … Read more

Leveraging an established neighbourhood-level, open access wastewater monitoring network to address public health priorities: a population-based study

May 25, 2023

Leveraging an established neighbourhood-level, open access wastewater monitoring network to address public health priorities: a population-based study Bowes, D. A., Driver, E. M., Kraberger, S., Fontenele, R. S., Holland, L. R. A., Wright, J., Johnston, B., Savic, S., Engstrom Newell, M., Adhikari, S., Kumar, R., Goetz, H., Binsfeld, A., Nessi, K., Watkins, P., Mahant, A., … Read more

Characterisation of the trans-membrane nucleoporins GP210 and NDC1 in Arabidopsis thaliana

May 18, 2023

Characterisation of the trans-membrane nucleoporins GP210 and NDC1 in Arabidopsis thaliana Collins, P. P., Broad, R. C., Yogeeswaran, K., Varsani, A., Poole, A. M. & Collings, D. A., Jul 2023, In: Plant Science. 332, 111719. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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