The idea of a giant virus lurking on an enormous ice sheet might sound like the plot of the latest science fiction blockbuster.
But it has become a reality after researchers discovered giant viruses while exploring the Greenland ice sheet.
Before you panic that the viruses could cause the next pandemic, there is some good news.
Scientists from Aarhus University say the viruses could actually be a good thing.
“We don’t know much about the viruses, but I think they could be useful as a way to reduce ice melt caused by algal blooms,” said Laura Perini, who led the study.
The idea of a giant virus lurking on an enormous ice sheet might sound like the plot of the latest science fiction blockbuster. But it has become a reality after researchers discovered giant viruses while exploring the Greenland ice sheet
Before you panic that the viruses could cause the next pandemic, there is some good news. Scientists from Aarhus University say the viruses could actually be a good thing
On the Greenland ice sheet, algae lie dormant on the ice until spring, when they begin to bloom and blacken large areas of the ice.
When the ice turns black, its ability to reflect the sun decreases and this accelerates the melting of the ice, worsening global warming.
But researchers believe the newly discovered giant viruses could help snow algae grow — and perhaps reduce the melting of some of the ice in the long run.
“How specific (the viruses) are and how efficient it would be, we don’t know yet,” Ms Perini said.
‘But by investigating them further we hope to be able to answer some of those questions.’
Giant viruses were first discovered in 1981, when researchers found them in the ocean.
These viruses had specialized in infecting green algae in the sea.
Later, giant viruses were found in soil, on land and even in humans.
Algae that lies dormant on the ice begins to bloom in the spring, turning large areas of the ice black. When the ice turns black, its ability to reflect the sun decreases and this accelerates the melting of the ice, worsening global warming
However, according to Ms Perini, the new discovery marks the first time that giant viruses have been found on the microalgae-dominated ice and snow surface.
“We analyzed samples of dark ice, red snow and melt holes (cryoconite),” she said.
‘We found signatures of active giant viruses in both the dark ice and the red snow.
‘And that’s the first time they’ve been found on surface ice and snow with a large amount of pigmented microalgae.
‘A few years ago everyone thought this part of the world was barren and devoid of life. But today we know that various microorganisms live there, including the giant viruses.
‘There is a whole ecosystem surrounding the algae. In addition to bacteria, filamentous fungi and yeasts, there are protists that eat the algae, several types of fungi parasitize them and the giant viruses we found infect them.
‘To understand the biological controls acting on algal blooms, we need to study these last three groups.’
Researchers say they may have found a way to control snow algae growth – and perhaps reduce the melting of some of the ice in the long run
“How specific (the viruses) are and how efficient it would be, we don’t know yet,” Ms Perini said
Because giant viruses are a relatively new discovery, not much is known about them.
Unlike most other viruses, they have many active genes that allow them to repair, replicate, transcribe and translate DNA.
But why that is and what exactly they use it for is not known.
‘We cannot precisely link which host the giant viruses infect. Some of them may infect protists, while others attack the snow algae. We just don’t know for sure yet,” Ms. Perini said.
The scientist is working hard to discover more about the giant viruses and more research will be released soon.
“We continue to study the giant viruses to learn more about their interactions and what exactly their role is in the ecosystem,” she added.
‘Later this year we will publish another scientific paper with some more information about giant viruses infecting cultivated microalgae that thrive on the surface ice of the Greenland Ice Sheet.’