A group of researchers has discovered the first “viral-taking” organism, meaning one that feeds exclusively on viruses, as detailed in a recently published study. By the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
It comes to haltera species of ciliated, globe-shaped plankton with hair-like cilia commonly found in freshwater aquariums.
Viruses are part of your food chain
Researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (USA) found it halter They consider the so-called chloroviruses as part of their food chain, as they provide them with nutrients, and increase their population size and growth.
Similarly, in their experiments, the scientists observed that in just 48 hours, plankton grew 15 times more, while chlorine virus levels decreased by 100 times.
After drawing the DNA of a green fluorescent chlorovirus, the scientists’ hypothesis about halter It was confirmed when their vulvas (the equivalent of our stomachs) glowed the same color.
Unknown effect on nature
However, the scientists who led the experiment are unaware of the effects this finding could have in nature. Chlorineviruses are known to infect microscopic green algae. When they decompose, they release carbon and other nutrients into the environment.
The researchers’ next step will be to determine how these organisms might influence the food chain, species evolution, and population resilience.
“If we double a rough estimate of how many viruses are there, how many ciliates are there, and how much water is there, the result is a massive amount of energy up the food chain,” said the paper’s lead author, John DeLong. .
He added, “If this happens on the scale that we think it can happen, it should completely change our view of the global carbon cycle.”
Edited by Jose Ignacio Origola
