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
Novel viruses belonging to the family Circoviridae identified in wild American wigeon samples
Novel viruses belonging to the family Circoviridae identified in wild American wigeon samples Khalifeh, A., Custer, J. M., Kraberger, S. & Varsani, A., 2021, (Accepted/In press) In: Archives of virology.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Taxonomy update for the family Alphasatellitidae: new subfamily, genera, and species
Taxonomy update for the family Alphasatellitidae: new subfamily, genera, and species Varsani, A., Martin, D. P., Randles, J. W., Vetten, H. J., Thomas, J. E., Fiallo-Olivé, E., Navas-Castillo, J., Lett, J. M., Zerbini, F. M., Roumagnac, P. & Gronenborn, B., 2021, (Accepted/In press) In: Archives of virology. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › … Read more
A 2021 taxonomy update for the family Smacoviridae
A 2021 taxonomy update for the family Smacoviridae Krupovic, M. & Varsani, A., 2021, (Accepted/In press) In: Archives of virology. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Wastewater-based epidemiology and long-read sequencing to identify enterovirus circulation in three municipalities in maricopa county, arizona, southwest united states between june and october 2020
Wastewater-based epidemiology and long-read sequencing to identify enterovirus circulation in three municipalities in maricopa county, arizona, southwest united states between june and october 2020 Faleye, T. O. C., Bowes, D. A., Driver, E. M., Adhikari, S., Adams, D., Varsani, A., Halden, R. U. & Scotch, M., Sep 2021, In: Viruses. 13, 9, 1803. Research output: … Read more
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
