These intriguing images may resemble extraterrestrial life forms, but they actually showcase never-before-seen viruses found on Earth.
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute in Germany have discovered a group of giant virus-like particles in the soil of New England. These particles have tentacles and star-shaped shells reminiscent of turtles.
Giant viruses are typically larger, ranging from 0.2 to 1.5 micrometers, and are commonly found in oceans, Arctic lakes, and melting permafrost.
Although these newly-discovered virus-like particles may cause fear in some people, the researchers have stated that they are not likely a threat to humans. Instead, they play a crucial role in the ecosystem.
The newly discovered giant viruses exhibited tentacle-like ‘electron-dense inner tube’ appendages, ‘icosahedral’ protein shells shaped like 20-sided dice, ‘star’ designs, and other unusual shapes whose biological purposes are still unknown
The ‘Gorgon’ giant viruses were named after the fearsome snake-haired woman from Greek mythology: Medusa and her two sisters, Stheno and Euryale. The researchers speculate that some of these tentacles are designed to implant the virus’s infectious genetic payload
The findings of this new research have been published on bioRxiv while awaiting peer review. The study was conducted by virologist Matthias Fischer and his colleagues at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Germany.
The team collected soil samples from Harvard Forest in Massachusetts in 2018, where giant viruses are known to thrive. However, the samples they retrieved were unlike anything they had ever seen before.
These virus-like particles exhibited tentacle-like ‘electron-dense inner tube’ appendages, ‘icosahedral’ protein shells shaped like 20-sided dice, ‘star’ designs, and other unusual shapes whose biological purposes are still unknown.
In previous studies, scientists have focused on the genomes of giant viruses found in Harvard Forest, which can contain up to 2.5 million DNA base pairs. However, Fischer’s team decided to focus on the morphology of these microbes for their study. They used a transmission electron microscope beam to capture detailed images of the giant viruses and nearby virus-like particles in the soil samples.
One category of giant virus discovered resembled ornate, crystalline perfume bottles from centuries ago, earning them the name ‘Flacon.’
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