This development could transform our understanding of ecosystems and open new avenues of research.
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A major scientific advance
The researchers used LucaProt, a deep learning algorithm, to identify 161,979 species of RNA viruses, of which 70,458 were previously unknown. The genomes of these viruses, often considered “dark matter sequences,” were sequenced but remained unidentified because of their strangeness. This discovery highlights the remarkable biodiversity of these viruses, often present in extreme environments.
Viruses are ubiquitous and play a crucial role in ecosystems by regulating populations of host species. Traditionally, characterization of viruses has been based on RNA-dependent RNA polymerase analysis, but this method has revealed only a fraction of the virosphere. Deep learning algorithms, like LucaProt, help fill these gaps.
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| 🔍 Concept | Résumé |
|---|---|
| 🦠 Diversity | More than 160,000 viruses identified, many in extreme environments. |
| 🤖 Technology | LucaProt uses AI to analyze complex data. |
| 🔬 Exploration | Millions of other viral species remain to be discovered. |
The role of deep learning algorithms
Deep learning algorithms have significant advantages for virus identification. They outperform traditional bioinformatics methods in terms of accuracy and speed. Additionally, these algorithms can process large amounts of data in record time, providing increased efficiency.
Lucaprot, based on transformers, is particularly effective in recognizing viral RdRps among “dark matter sequences”. Unlike conventional neural networks, transformers process data randomly, thereby optimizing the training process.
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Promising research prospects
Despite these advances, researchers believe that a large part of the viral species still remains to be discovered. Continued use of LucaProt will pave the way for the identification of many more viral groups. This approach could also be applied to the study of bacteria and parasites.
The potential hosts of the newly identified viruses have not been fully explored. New AI models are being developed to better understand the role of these viruses in their environments. Scientists also hope to clarify whether certain viruses can infect archaea, organisms for which no RNA viruses have yet been identified.
As AI continues to transform our understanding of the microscopic world, what other secrets could the virosphere still reveal?
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