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

Diverse single-stranded DNA viruses identified in New Zealand (Aotearoa) South Island robin (Petroica australis) fecal samples

Diverse single-stranded DNA viruses identified in New Zealand (Aotearoa) South Island robin (Petroica australis) fecal samples Custer, J. M., White, R., Taylor, H., Schmidlin, K., Fontenele, R. S., Stainton, D., Kraberger, S., Briskie, J. V. & Varsani, A., Jan 2 2022, In: Virology. 565, p. 38-51 14 p. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article … Read more

Perspective on taxonomic classification of uncultivated viruses

Perspective on taxonomic classification of uncultivated viruses Dutilh, B. E., Varsani, A., Tong, Y., Simmonds, P., Sabanadzovic, S., Rubino, L., Roux, S., Muñoz, A. R., Lood, C., Lefkowitz, E. J., Kuhn, J. H., Krupovic, M., Edwards, R. A., Brister, J. R., Adriaenssens, E. M. & Sullivan, M. B., Dec 2021, In: Current opinion in virology. … Read more

An investigation of antibacterial activity of New Zealand seaweed-associated marine bacteria

An investigation of antibacterial activity of New Zealand seaweed-associated marine bacteria Tangestani, M., Broady, P. & Varsani, A., Oct 2021, In: Future Microbiology. 16, 15, p. 1167-1179 13 p. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Known and new emerging viruses infecting blueberry

Known and new emerging viruses infecting blueberry Saad, N., Olmstead, J. W., Jones, J. B., Varsani, A. & Harmon, P. F., Oct 2021, In: Plants. 10, 10, 2172. Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

Adaptation of the polony technique to quantify Gokushovirinae, a diverse group of single-stranded DNA phage

Adaptation of the polony technique to quantify Gokushovirinae, a diverse group of single-stranded DNA phage Sawaya, N. A., Baran, N., Mahank, S., Varsani, A., Lindell, D. & Breitbart, M., 2021, (Accepted/In press) In: Environmental microbiology. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Integrating Viral Metagenomics into an Ecological Framework

Integrating Viral Metagenomics into an Ecological Framework Sommers, P., Chatterjee, A., Varsani, A. & Trubl, G., Sep 29 2021, In: Annual Review of Virology. 8, p. 133-158 26 p. Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

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