Ocean Science Radio1 Jul 2025

They Might Be Giants - The Ocean Viruses Bigger Than Bacteria

Forget everything you think you know about viruses. In the ocean, there are viral giants so large they were mistaken for bacteria for decades – and they're rewriting the rules of marine ecology.

Join us as we explore the fascinating world of giant viruses with Benjamin Minch, a PhD student at the University of Miami who has discovered over 230 previously unknown viral genomes using a revolutionary computational tool called BEREN. These microscopic monsters can hijack photosynthesis, manipulate their hosts like puppet masters, and dramatically reshape ocean food webs.

Giant viruses are up to 100 times larger than common viruses, with genomes rivaling those of bacteria. Some enhance their hosts' superpowers – boosting photosynthesis and metabolism – before turning infected cells into viral factories. Others cause victims to clump together and sink as marine snow, playing crucial roles in carbon sequestration and climate regulation.

From the Baltic Sea's viral treasure trove to practical applications like predicting harmful algal blooms, this episode explores how invisible giants influence everything from ocean food webs to global nutrient cycles. Discover why the ocean's biggest players might also be its smallest.

Links:

BEREN tool: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.09.617401v1
Ben's research publications: https://idsc.miami.edu/pegasus-powered-giant-virus-study-yields-publicly-shared-bioinformatics-tool/

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