Track 9: Virus Universe using Metatranscriptome Mining.
The development of metatranscriptomics aids in the discovery of key characteristics of the Earth's RNA virome. Virologists found many new viruses in this study that shed light on the variety, host range, and evolution of RNA viruses. The discovery of 2.5 million RNA virus-derived sequences came through the mining of more than 5,150 different metatranscriptomes from existing sources. The variety of known RNA viruses has increased five times as a result of this development. The most unique populations are divided into two groupings that might constitute new phyla, while others are categorized into multiple new classes and orders. The most significant finding is the sharp rise in the variety and quantity of bacteria-infecting viruses, which are now known to make up a far larger proportion of RNA viruses than previously believed. A significant resource for RNA virology should be the enormous collection of novel RNA virus genomes, which offers insight into the evolution of RNA viruses.