Russian scientists participating in the Arctic Floating University expedition have discovered viruses that are 30 times larger than normal ones, MIR 24 reports.

Laboratory studies of samples collected on the islands of the Arctic Ocean have shown astonishing results. Compared to the known SARS-CoV-2, the size of which varies from 50 to 200 nanometers, the new Arctic viruses reach 1500 nanometers, making them visible even under a conventional light microscope.

Scientists were particularly interested in the unique genome of these microorganisms, which is fundamentally different from the genetic material of other known viruses. The studies were conducted in the high latitudes of the Arctic, including the Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya archipelagos. Similar discoveries had already been made earlier in Yakutia, where a 30 000-year-old virus was discovered in the tissues of ancient animals from permafrost.

Despite significant progress in studying these microorganisms, many questions remain unanswered. Scientists must find out the origin and evolutionary path of these giant viruses, as well as determine whether they pose a potential threat to humanity.