Detecting giant virus underneath the Indian city, copying the gene of the host

More than 20 new viruses were discovered underneath the sewer and water storage in Mumbai, India with the ability to copy and transplant genes into hosts.

According to RT, the newly published study mentions viruses that have never been found right below India 's Mumbai city .

Indian people.(Illustration).

Although it is noteworthy, researchers have yet to find signs that the virus can infect humans.

"We have not collected enough evidence for this 'giant virus' to be able to infect people directly ," said Dr. Anirvan, one of the study authors, in Science Wire.

According to the team, the new virus can decipher the secrets of evolution. The researchers found that the virus, once infected with a life form, would copy the host's genetic pattern and continue to find a new host.

This process takes a long time to pave the way for a new species, according to the research team.

The reason why the team calls this is "giant virus" because in the world of micro-organisms, this virus is several times larger than other common viruses.

The largest virus is called Bandra megavirus (BMV) , 465nm long. 1nm is 1 million times smaller than 1mm. Other viruses also found in the study are Powai Lake megavirus (PLMV), bombay Mimivirus (MVB), and Kurlavirus (KUV).

The group of researchers at Bombay Institute of Technology (IITB) published the findings in the journal Science.