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
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
Publications
Identification of aviadenovirus and dependoparvovirus in an Adélie penguin fecal sample from Cape Royds (Ross Island, Antarctica)
Arch Virol. 2026 Sep 4;171(10):268. doi: 10.1007/s00705-026-06726-x.ABSTRACTAdenoviruses (Adenoviridae) and their associated replication-deficient dependoparvoviruses (Parvoviridae) are recognized as significant components of the avian virome. While well-studied in domestic birds, these viruses remain underexplored in wild Antarctic birds. Information is limited on viruses circulating in penguins, particularly outside of the Antarctic Peninsula Region. Here we leverage a … Read more
Genomes of cressdnaviricots and phixviricots in a freshwater lake sample from Arizona, USA
Microbiol Resour Announc. 2026 Aug 28:e0092026. doi: 10.1128/mra.00920-26. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT A viral metagenomic analysis of a 40 ml water sample from a small freshwater lake near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA, resulted in the identification of 295 circular viral genome sequences. Of these, 126 are members of Cressdnaviricota and 169 of Phixviricota phyla. PMID:42663468 … Read more
Effects of Nutrient Limitation on Antarctic Microbial Community Diversity, Composition, and Interactions: A Cryoconite Microcosm Study
Microorganisms. 2026 Aug 16;14(8):1807. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms14081807. ABSTRACT Dry, harsh, nutrient-limited environments such as the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, may be particularly susceptible to changes in nutrient availability, demonstrating strong deterministic community assembly processes shaping communities within an ecosystem largely dominated by stochastic processes. Utilizing previously characterized cryoconite hole sediments from Canada Glacier in Taylor Valley, … Read more
Atypical myxomatosis in European rabbits is caused by the recombinant myxoma virus involved in species jumping into hares
bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2026 Jul 27:2026.07.25.740729. doi: 10.64898/2026.07.25.740729. ABSTRACT Myxoma virus (MYXV), a member of the Leporipoxvirus genus (species Leporipoxvirus myxoma; family Poxviridae ), causes a highly lethal disease known as myxomatosis in European rabbits. In late 2018, a new natural MYXV isolate, MYXV-Tol (a.k.a. hare MYXV; ha-MYXV), emerged and caused myxomatosis-like disease with high mortality … Read more
Virus community views on the possible extension of virus taxonomic assignments to a below-species rank
J Gen Virol. 2026 Aug;107(8). doi: 10.1099/jgv.0.002313. ABSTRACT The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) is considering a proposal submitted in July 2025 to create an optional additional taxonomic rank below the level of species. This was designed to increase the precision of taxonomic assignment where clinical or other regulatory distinctions need to be … Read more
Skuas as sentinels of high pathogenicity avian influenza H5N1 on the Antarctic Peninsula in the 2024/2025 austral summer
Microb Genom. 2026 Aug;12(8). doi: 10.1099/mgen.0.001724. ABSTRACT Despite Antarctica’s geographic isolation, the first incursion of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 was detected in the 2023/2024 austral summer. Surveillance for HPAI H5N1 in Antarctica remains patchy due to logistical, financial and infrastructure challenges, with many suspected cases remaining unconfirmed and few viral genome sequences available … Read more
