Giant Virus Isolation Underscores the Understudied World of Microbes

Researchers at the Nanoscience Center of the University of Jyväskylä have made a notable breakthrough by isolating a giant virus—Finland's first. They've named it Jyvaskylavirus, and its discovery suggests that these unusually large viruses may be more widespread in northern climates than previously thought. The finding also underscores how much remains unknown about the biological structures surrounding us—and their potential functions.

Viruses are everywhere, and while most are harmless to humans, they play essential roles in ecosystems. In recent years, scientists have discovered giant viruses—some as large as bacteria—that typically infect amoebas and other tiny organisms. Until now, most of these giants had been found in places like Europe and South America, and their life cycles and broader ecological roles are still largely a mystery.

Finland’s Giant Virus Has Ties to France

This latest discovery marks the first time a giant virus has been isolated in Finland. Researchers identified Jyvaskylavirus after introducing environmental samples into a culture of the amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii. The virus itself measures about 200 nanometers in diameter—roughly double the size of influenza or coronaviruses.

“Through an international collaboration, we elucidated the genome and structure of Jyvaskylavirus, which was found to be related to Marseilleviruses previously isolated from France. Other new giant viruses were also detected in environmental samples,”
 

Lotta-Riina Sundberg, Professor, University of Jyväskylä

A New Window Into Soil Microbial Life

The study indicates that giant viruses might be more common in soil and aquatic environments than scientists had assumed—particularly in northern ecosystems.

“The discovery will help to understand the interactions between microbes and the role of viruses in regulating populations of all living organisms, as well as providing new insights into the structure of giant viruses,”
 

Lotta-Riina Sundberg