Studying marine viruses could shift our approach to combating climate change, due to their ability to capture carbon in the oceans and reduce methane emissions in the Arctic soils.
This scientific breakthrough, recently presented by Matthew Sullivan, a professor of microbiology at Ohio State University, relies on utilizing genomic data and artificial intelligence to identify and harness the potential of viruses in regulating carbon metabolism.
By combining genomic sequencing and artificial intelligence analysis, researchers have discovered that some marine viruses can "steal" genes from other microbes, thereby influencing carbon processing in the oceans. This finding is based on the identification of 340 known metabolic pathways in the world's oceans, 128 of which are present in the genomes of these marine viruses. This information could help develop community metabolic models to predict how viral engineering could enhance carbon capture by the oceans.
Sullivan and his team's work is part of the Tara Oceans Consortium, which collected 35,000 water samples worldwide to study the impact of climate change on oceans. Their research shows that viruses target key reactions in microbial community metabolism, offering a new path to convert carbon into a heavy organic form that settles at the bottom of the ocean, acting as a carbon sink.
Beyond the oceans, Sullivan mentions the possibility of transferring this knowledge to other fields, such as microbiome engineering for spinal cord injury recovery, improving outcomes for infants born to HIV-positive mothers, or fighting infections in burns. Efforts are also underway to use these approaches in the permafrost soils of Sweden, where thawing releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
This research, supported by several institutions including the National Science Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, illustrates the potential of viruses in ecological management and the fight against climate change.