According to a new study by US scientists, it has been announced that more than 5,500 new types of viruses have been detected in the oceans.
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In the study published in the journal Science, it was stated that tens of thousands of water samples from all over the world were analyzed, while RNA viruses or viruses that use RNA as their genetic material were detected.
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“There’s a lot of new diversity, and a new phylum, Taraviriicota, has been found all over the oceans, which suggests they’re ecologically important,” said lead author of the study, Matthew Sullivan, a professor of microbiology at Ohio State University, who spoke about the research. .
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While RNA viruses are known for causing diseases in humans ranging from the common cold to Covid-19, they also infect plants and animals that are important to humans.
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In the findings of the study, which was carried out with water samples collected from the oceans for four years, more than 44 thousand genes were examined, and the statements “We identified a total of 5,504 new marine RNA viruses, and we found that the number of known RNA virus phyla is 10.”
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These new sequences, which were detected together with the data obtained after the research, help scientists better understand not only the development history of RNA viruses, but also the development of early life on Earth.
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While RNA viruses can cause deadly diseases, as the Covid-19 pandemic has shown, it has been emphasized, however, that RNA viruses play a vital role in ecosystems.
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