(task) Ancient squirrel's nest leads to discovery of giant virus

GRS

4

Science, permafrost, health, viruses

> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: Kathy Gilbeaux <gilbojer@aol.com>
> Subject: Ancient squirrel's nest leads to discovery of giant virus
> Date: September 11, 2015 at 10:04:08 PM EDT
> To: michael.d.mcdonald@mac.com
>
> Mike,
>
> As if you don't have enough to think about . . .
> Waking an ancient virus . . . What's hiding in the permafrost . . .
>
> As climate change <http://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2015/06/24/orig-sutter-climate-change-marshall-islands-sinking-two-degrees.cnn> has opened up new maritime routes through the arctic sea ice, Claverie and his team worry about the increasing number of companies already mining for gold <http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/EY-gold-mining-industry-in-russia-2015-eng/$FILE/EY-gold-mining-industry-in-russia-2015-eng.pdf>and tungsten along the northern coast of Siberia.
> The companies will excavate millions of tons of permafrost that have lain undisturbed for thousands and thousands of years.
> If this one core sample yielded at least four giant viruses, there is no telling what frozen surprises <http://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/effects/> could be suddenly exposed in open mining.
> "What may be in those layers is very worrying," Claverie said.
> But they may also hold great promise. Secrets there could unlock a new understanding of metabolic pathways and biochemical processes that could lead to the creation of new drugs and biotechnology.
>
> Ancient squirrel's nest leads to discovery of giant virus
> http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/11/health/ancient-squirrel-leads-to-giant-virus-discovery/
>
> Kathy