Researchers find more than 5,500 new species of RNA viruses in the ocean
The next step was to identify the evolutionary relationships between these genes. The closer the genes are, the more likely they will be related. These sequences were so old (possibly dating back to the first cell), that the genetic markers indicating the place where new viruses might have separated from a shared ancestor are lost in time. Machine learning, a form of artificial intelligence, enabled us to organize the sequences systematically and detect differences objectively, compared to manually doing it.
The total number of marine RNA viruses identified was 5,504 and the number of RNA virus phyla doubled from five to ten. Mapping these new sequences revealed that the two new phyla are particularly prevalent across vast oceanic areas, with a preference for temperate and tropical waters, (the Taraviricota named after the Tara Oceans Expeditions), or the Arctic Ocean, (the Arctiviricota).
Source:
https://interestingengineering.com/5500-rna-virus-ocean
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