The team of researchers discovered more than 130,000 RNA-based viruses with the help of a supercomputer. Being able to identify pathogens that can potentially cause a pandemic is no easy task. But with the help of a supercomputer, a Canadian researcher among a team of scientists uncovered thousands of viruses that can pose a threat.
The task was dubbed the Serratus Project and is a combined international effort in which their findings are posted in the journal Nature. The journal entry included the findings of nearly 10 times more RNA-based viruses than were previously known. The number totaled more than 130,000 new species all of which are lurking in more than a decades’ worth of publicly available genetic data.
These species of pathogens are known for causing a wide variety of human diseases, ranging from COVID-19 to Ebola to the common cold. This newfound knowledge may “improve pathogen surveillance for the anticipation and mitigation of future pandemics,” the team wrote in the journal.
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