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
Identification of Circovirus Genome in a Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus) and Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) on the Antarctic Peninsula
Identification of Circovirus Genome in a Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus) and Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) on the Antarctic Peninsula Levy, H., Fiddaman, S. R., Djurhuus, A., Black, C. E., Kraberger, S., Smith, A. L., Hart, T. & Varsani, A., Aug 6 2020, In : Viruses. 12, 8 Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Blueberry red ringspot virus genomes from Florida inferred through analysis of blueberry root transcriptomes
Blueberry red ringspot virus genomes from Florida inferred through analysis of blueberry root transcriptomes Saad, N., Alcalá-Briseño, R. I., Polston, J. E., Olmstead, J. W., Varsani, A. & Harmon, P. F., Dec 1 2020, In : Scientific reports. 10, 1, 12043. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Diet segregation in Adélie penguins: Some individuals attempt to overcome colony-induced and annual foraging challenges
Diet segregation in Adélie penguins: Some individuals attempt to overcome colony-induced and annual foraging challenges Massaro, M., Ainley, D. G., Santora, J. A., Quillfeldt, P., Lescroël, A., Whitehead, A., Varsani, A., Ballard, G. & Lyver, P. O. B., Jul 9 2020, In : Marine Ecology Progress Series. 645, p. 205-218 14 p. Research output: Contribution … Read more
An 81-Nucleotide Deletion in SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a Identified from Sentinel Surveillance in Arizona (January to March 2020)
An 81-Nucleotide Deletion in SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a Identified from Sentinel Surveillance in Arizona (January to March 2020) Holland, L. R. A., Kaelin, E. A., Maqsood, R., Estifanos, B., Wu, L. I., Varsani, A., Halden, R. U., Hogue, B. G., Scotch, M. & Lim, E. S., Jul 1 2020, In : Journal of virology. 94, 14 Research … Read more
Isolation and characterization of a novel geminivirus from parsley
Isolation and characterization of a novel geminivirus from parsley Hasanvand, V., Heydanejad, J., Massumi, H., Kleinow, T., Jeske, H. & Varsani, A., Sep 2020, In : Virus research. 286, 198056. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Cressdnaviricota: a Virus Phylum Unifying Seven Families of Rep-Encoding Viruses with Single-Stranded, Circular DNA Genomes
Cressdnaviricota: a Virus Phylum Unifying Seven Families of Rep-Encoding Viruses with Single-Stranded, Circular DNA Genomes Krupovic, M., Varsani, A., Kazlauskas, D., Breitbart, M., Delwart, E., Rosario, K., Yutin, N., Wolf, Y. I., Harrach, B., Zerbini, F. M., Dolja, V. V., Kuhn, J. H. & Koonin, E. V., Jun 1 2020, In : Journal of virology. … Read more
