[All-postdocs] Biology Seminar this Thursday: Mohammad Moniruzzaman, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

[Margot McKlveen]

*Biology Department Virtual Seminar*

*

Thursday, February 18 at Noon

Zoom link: 
https://whoi-edu.zoom.us/j/98746783038?pwd=QVUvQlFQVGJSdkt1Z1N4VXBhdktMZz09


Dr. Mohammad Moniruzzaman

Postdoctoral Researcher, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State 
University

 From War to Peace: Genomic Insights on the Coevolution of Giant Viruses 
and Microbial Eukaryotes


Abstract: Viruses shape the evolution and ecology of myriad microbial 
lineages in the biosphere. One of the most compelling viral groups that 
have recently garnered great interest are the ‘giant viruses’; also 
known as Nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses (NCLDV). NCLDVs are a 
diverse group of eukaryotic viruses with large virion size that can 
reach up to 1.5 μm, genomes as large as 2.5 million base-pairs and 
hundreds of genes with complex evolutionary histories. Commonly known as 
‘giant viruses’, they challenge the traditional view of viruses as 
filterable infectious agents and demonstrate that viruses could be 
larger than some cellular lineages like bacteria, both in terms of 
physical size and genomic contents. However, little is known about the 
impact of NCLDVs on the ecological and evolutionary trajectories of 
their hosts, despite the fact that they are ubiquitous in the biosphere 
and infect diverse ecologically important protist lineages. I have 
leveraged large-scale genomics and metagenomics to understand how 
NCLDV-host interactions shape the genomes of both partners. I have found 
that NCODVs harbor numerous genes involved in cellular metabolism, which 
has potential to modulate host metabolism program during infection, with 
profound implications for global biogeochemistry. In contrast, hosts 
frequently ‘adopt’ the NCLDV genomes via endogenization, which creates 
opportunities for functional and regulatory innovations. These insights 
will be crucial for future studies on ecological and evolutionary 
implications of NCLDV-host interactions.


Join Zoom Meeting

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Meeting ID: 987 4678 3038

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*

-- 
Margot McKlveen | she/her
Senior Administrative Assistant
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Redfield Building Room 305 | MS 32
266 Woods Hole Rd.
Woods Hole, MA 02543
508-289-2334
mmcklveen at whoi.edu

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