Latest news with #KarthikAnantharaman
India Today
4 days ago
- Health
- India Today
IIT Madras, US researchers study viruses to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and the United States are examining viruses in freshwater lakes to see how they influence the environment and human health. The study may help us tackle antibiotic resistance and enhance how we treat water by Dr Karthik Anantharaman, Visiting Professor, Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI at IIT Madras, the team worked with more than 20 years' worth of data from 465 water samples collected from a lake in Madison, research employed machine learning software to study the behavior of viruses in their natural habitat. Dr Anantharaman, who is also a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need to track viruses more closely. 'Knowing how viruses change and interact with their environment helps us prepare for outbreaks and understand their role in nature,' he said. Dinesh Kumar (A lab member) VIRUSES SHOW PATTERNS, POTENTIAL IN TACKLING POLLUTION AND SUPERBUGSScientists discovered that viruses have yearly cycles and can affect other organisms in the viruses contained genes that were "borrowed" from their hosts, enabling them to perform essential biological processes. The team also reconstructed more than 1.3 million viral genomes -- the largest dataset of its type to of the hopeful applications is in phage therapy, a method that employs viruses to attack and destroy pathogenic bacteria. It may provide an answer to infections no longer treatable with antibiotics. Patrica Tran sampling lake The research also indicated that pollution can influence the population of viruses. It may aid in creating means to control water quality and mitigate issues such as algal Madras Professor Karthik Raman explained that most viruses provide ecosystem balance, similar to how predators regulate wildlife study, which appeared in Nature Microbiology, was conducted by researchers from IIT Madras, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of Texas at Austin. It is one of the overall environmental and health-related research initiatives of IIT Madras.
Hans India
4 days ago
- Science
- Hans India
IIT Madras study shows viruses follow seasonal and yearly cycles
New Delhi: Amid a fresh wave of Covid-19, caused by the SARS-CoV2, a new study by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras showed that viruses follow seasonal and yearly cycles. The international study, undertaken along with a team of scientists from the universities of Wisconsin-Madison and Texas at Austin, focussed on viruses in freshwater lakes. The researchers used cutting-edge Machine Learning (ML) tools to study 465 freshwater lake samples from Madison, Wisconsin, collected over more than 20 years -- representing the longest DNA-based monitoring of a natural environment on Earth. By sequencing all the DNA from the lakes using a method called metagenomics, the researchers reconstructed 1.3 million virus genomes. The study enabled the researchers to learn how viruses change with the seasons, over decades, and in response to environmental shifts. 'Viruses follow seasonal and yearly cycles, with many reappearing year after year, showing remarkable predictability,' said the researchers in the paper, published in the Nature Microbiology Journal. 'Viruses can 'steal' genes from their hosts and repurpose them for their own benefit. Viruses evolve over-time, with some genes becoming more dominant due to natural selection,' they added. The findings also revealed the vital roles viruses play in ecosystems, not just by influencing the environment but also by supporting other organisms. The team found 578 examples of viral genes that help with critical processes like photosynthesis and methane use -- highlighting how viruses are beneficial to the health and stability of natural systems. 'The Covid-19 pandemic has shown us just how important it is to track viruses. Understanding how viruses emerge, evolve, and interact with their environments is critical -- not only for responding to pandemics but also for recognising the vital roles they play in ecosystems. Yet, long-term studies of viral communities, particularly in natural environments, are rare,' said Dr. Karthik Anantharaman, Visiting Professor, at Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI, IIT Madras. 'This lack of data creates a significant knowledge gap, hindering our ability to predict how viruses influence both human health and environmental stability. By investing in long-term viral monitoring, we can better prepare for future outbreaks and uncover the complex ways viruses contribute to the health of our planet,' added Anantharaman, who is also an Associate Professor of Microbial and Viral Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, US. In addition, studying viruses in freshwater systems can transform how we manage water resources, natural ecosystems, and public health, said the team. These findings also open doors to innovative strategies for ecosystem management, such as using viruses to restore balance in disrupted environments such as polluted lakes.
