What can sponge viruses tell us about the origins of animal viruses?

Title: What can sponge viruses tell us about the origins of animal viruses?

Speaker: Dr Mary Petrone from the University of Sydney

Abstract: The relationship between viruses and their hosts is intricate and ancient. Animal viruses have theoretically co-diverged with their hosts for hundreds of millions of years. Reconstructing this evolutionary pathway can contextualize the relatively recent emergence of human viral pathogens. However, the underlying assumption that the viruses of basal invertebrates are representative of basal viral taxa must first be tested. This seminar will examine unique genetic features of marine invertebrate RNA viruses that suggest that virus-host relationships in basal invertebrates fundamentally differ from those observed in higher-order animals. These data highlight how selection pressures have shifted throughout the evolution of animals and continue to drive molecular innovation in marine viruses today

Bio: Dr. Petrone is an ARC DECRA Fellow and group leader in the School of Medical Sciences at the University of Sydney where she studies highly divergent RNA viruses in marine invertebrates. Her research aims to trace the origins of animal RNA viruses and examine fundamental principles governing RNA virus evolution. Prior to moving to Sydney, Dr. Petrone completed her PhD at Yale University (USA) and gained extensive experience using genomic epidemiology as a public health tool during the COVID-19 pandemic.