🦠 The Largest Project Ever to Study Viruses
There are 300-400 trillion viruses living inside us—not all of them are dangerous. However, only a tiny fraction of all viruses in the human body, which make up the so-called "virome," have been identified so far.
Artificial intelligence will help identify and classify viruses within the new Human Virome program. The scientists aim to study viruses' role in the human body and their impact on the immune system, health, and life expectancy. "I think it will swamp the data that we've had up until now," states Frederic Bushman, a microbiologist at the University of Pennsylvania and one of the program's leaders.
The project also involves scientists from Harvard, Caltech, and three other top universities. The U.S. National Institutes of Health has allocated $171 million for it.
For the first time in scientific history, researchers will collect biomaterial samples from thousands of volunteers. Experts have developed AI tools, like Viral StochQuant, to analyze viral genomes.
The prospective discoveries should help find more effective ways to treat autoimmune and other chronic diseases.
Scientists are most interested in viruses that do not cause disease and could benefit health. These include cytomegaloviruses, which have recently been found to help defend us against skin cancer by attacking damaged cells and possibly preventing them from progressing into malignancy.
Scientists will also study phages—viruses that destroy pathogenic bacteria. According to the World Health Organization, they could serve as an alternative to antibiotics, crucial as bacteria rapidly develop resistance to current drugs.
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