Pr Gonzalo Barriga, PhD. and colleagues from the University of Chile led a study in collaboration with Inorevia, on the potential of snowy sheathbills, a species of scavenger birds found in Antarctica, to serve as sentinels for monitoring viral diversity in the region.
The study focuses on RNA virome and targeted viral surveillance for coronaviruses, paramyxoviruses, and influenza viruses in samples collected from the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland. The results highlight the discovery of two viruses likely of human origin: a member of the genus Sapovirus, which can cause gastroenteritis, and a gammaherpesvirus, which has oncogenic potential.
Here, a novel enrichment strategy which combines traditional methods and the unique features of the Magelia® platform, unprecedented resolution was obtained for this scavenger bird virome. Reaction encapsulation in capillaries, paired with highly precise manipulation of magnetic beads were at the heart of this strategy, all key and unique features provided by the Magelia® platform.
By leveraging the unique ecological interactions of snowy sheathbills, this study opens new avenues for viral surveillance in one of the most isolated and extreme environments on Earth.
Check out the article here
The study focuses on RNA virome and targeted viral surveillance for coronaviruses, paramyxoviruses, and influenza viruses in samples collected from the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland. The results highlight the discovery of two viruses likely of human origin: a member of the genus Sapovirus, which can cause gastroenteritis, and a gammaherpesvirus, which has oncogenic potential.
Here, a novel enrichment strategy which combines traditional methods and the unique features of the Magelia® platform, unprecedented resolution was obtained for this scavenger bird virome. Reaction encapsulation in capillaries, paired with highly precise manipulation of magnetic beads were at the heart of this strategy, all key and unique features provided by the Magelia® platform.
By leveraging the unique ecological interactions of snowy sheathbills, this study opens new avenues for viral surveillance in one of the most isolated and extreme environments on Earth.
Check out the article here
