In Tsukuba, Japan, a team from the Tokyo University of Science and the National Institutes of Natural Sciences has made an exciting discovery: a new giant virus called ushikuvirus in Ushiku-numa pond. This finding could shed light on how complex life forms, like humans and plants, evolved.
Giant viruses are intriguing because they might hold secrets about the early days of eukaryotes—organisms with cell nuclei. Some researchers believe that ancient cells infected by these viruses eventually led to the evolution of eukaryotes. Studying these viruses helps us understand how life became more complex over time.
Unlike typical viruses, which are too small for the naked eye, giant viruses can be seen using standard microscopes. They are believed to exist in many bodies of water, yet much about them remains a mystery.
A graduate student collected water samples from Ushiku-numa pond and identified the ushikuvirus. At 250 nanometers in size, it infects a type of single-celled organism known as vermamoeba. Importantly, this virus poses no threat to humans or animals.
In 2019, the same research team discovered a new family of giant viruses in Hokkaido’s hot springs and named it Mamonoviridae. The ushikuvirus shares traits with this family, suggesting a close connection.
Professor Masaharu Takemura from the Tokyo University of Science stated, “By researching viruses like the ushikuvirus, we aim to understand how cell nuclei originated.” This research is crucial in unraveling the complexities of life on Earth.
These findings were published in a scientific journal on November 24, 2025. The ongoing research on giant viruses may reveal more about the origin of life and how simple cells transformed into the diverse forms we see today.
For more on this groundbreaking research, you can check out the publication here.
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