Matthew Sullivan, Professor at The Ohio State University Department of Microbiology and Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering and a Principal Investigator at the Byrd Center, is co-author of a study recently published in the online journal Nature Communications Biology titled Ecogenomics reveals viral communities across the Challenger Deep oceanic trench. The research involves the study of microorganisms, specifically Hadal viruses found in Challenger Deep in the Mariana trench, and their metabolic capabilities. As prokaryotes are involved in hadal carbon and nitrogen cycling and are potential hosts infected by these viruses, it is believed that the viruses modulate the carbohydrate and sulfur metabolisms of these hosts and stabilize the host’s cell membranes under extreme hydrostatic pressures. The results help understand more about deep sea ecology and the functional adaptions of hadal viruses.

Visit Nature Communications Biology online to read more about this study.