Beyond HIV: Ultra-massive surveillance for retroviruses across all domains of life

Viruses impact almost every aspect of human life, such as in carbon availability oceans impacting climate, food security in agriculture, and importantly in health. Humans are colonized by both benign and disease-causing viruses. Retroviruses, such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), are a class of viruses that use reverse transcriptase (RT) to convert RNA-based genomes to DNA, allowing for exploitation of host cell machinery for replication, which can result in permanent infection if integrated into the host genome. However, very little is known about the diversity of retroviruses, and what is characterized today remains a small portion of retroviruses. Given the impact of known retroviruses, uncovering the full diversity of retroviruses may provide insight into emerging pathogens, informing preventative measures and biological insights in advance of outbreaks. This will also provide information that can be applied in the prevention, treatment and overall control of retrovirus-associated diseases. Given the impact of retroviruses on all aspects of human life and their zoonotic potential, this project holds immense relevance to global one health. Participating institutions will benefit from access to cutting-edge research infrastructure and expertise, strengthening overall scientific capabilities, and positioning them as leaders the field of viral diseases and related public health insights.

Faculty Supervisor:

Artem Babaian

Student:

Partner:

Institut Pasteur

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Toronto

Program: