Weird virus found on the ocean floor
Scientists have identified a new virus that seems to infect archaea beneath the sea floor. This virus targets and mutates one of its own genes. This could be helping it adapt to defense mechanisms evolved by the host. The findings were posted in Nature Communications. Most viruses are dependent on other cells to copy themselves. This new virus must be using another habitant in order to continue their existence.
Scientists wanted to find out more about this so researchers from the National Science Foundation used a submersible to get sediment samples from one system in the marine subsurface. The samples were given to the lab and fed methane to encourage the methanotrophic archaea to grow. They figured a virus didn’t match any documented viruses, but seemed to be parasite.
