Unlocking the Viral Universe: Metagenomic Analysis of Bat Samples Using Next-Generation Sequencing.

Next-generation sequencing technologies have revolutionized the field of virology by enabling the reading of complete viral genomes, extensive metagenomic studies, and the identification of novel viral pathogens. Although metagenomic sequencing has the advantage of not requiring specific probes or primers, it faces significant challenges in analyzing data and identifying novel viruses. Traditional bioinformatics tools for sequence identification mainly depend on homology-based strategies, which may not allow the detection of a virus significantly different from known variants due to the extensive genetic diversity and rapid evolution of viruses.

Association of Toll-Like Receptor Gene Polymorphisms with Tuberculosis in HIV-Positive Participants.

Genetic factors in the HIV-background may play a significant role in the susceptibility to secondary diseases, like tuberculosis, which is the leading cause in mortality of HIV-positive people. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are considered to be receptors for adaptive immunity, and polymorphisms in TLR genes can influence the activity of the immune response to infection. We conducted a case-control study of the association of TLR gene polymorphisms with the risk of tuberculosis coinfection in a multi-country sample of HIV-positive participants.

Development and Application of Real-Time PCR-Based Screening for Identification of Omicron SARS-CoV-2 Variant Sublineages.

The Omicron strain is currently the main dominant variant of SARS-CoV-2, with a large number of sublineages. In this article, we present our experience in tracing it in Russia using molecular diagnostic methods. For this purpose, different approaches were used; for example, we developed multiprimer panels for RT-PCR and Sanger and NGS sequencing methods.

Marburg virus in Egyptian Rousettus bats in Guinea: Investigation of Marburg virus outbreak origin in 2021.

In 2021, a patient died from Marburg virus (MARV) disease in Guinea and it was the first confirmed case in West Africa. The origin of the outbreak has not been identified. It was revealed that the patient didn't travel anywhere before the illness.

TLRs Gene Polymorphisms Associated with Pneumonia before and during COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: The progression of infectious diseases depends on the characteristics of a patient's innate immunity, and the efficiency of an immune system depends on the patient's genetic factors, including SNPs in the genes. In this pilot study, we determined the frequency of alleles in these SNPs in a subset of patients with pneumonia.

Methods: This study assessed six SNPs from genes: rs5743551 (), rs5743708, rs3804100 (), rs4986790 (), rs5743810 (), and rs3764880 ().

Effective Approaches to Study the Genetic Variability of SARS-CoV-2.

Significant efforts are being made in many countries around the world to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic by developing diagnostic reagent kits, identifying infected people, determining treatment methods, and finally producing effective vaccines. However, novel coronavirus variants may potentially reduce the effectiveness of all these efforts, demonstrating increased transmissibility and abated response to therapy or vaccines, as well as the possibility of false negative results in diagnostic procedures based on nucleic acid amplification methods. Since the end of 2020, several variants of concern have been discovered around the world.

Utilizing the VirIdAl Pipeline to Search for Viruses in the Metagenomic Data of Bat Samples.

According to various estimates, only a small percentage of existing viruses have been discovered, naturally much less being represented in the genomic databases. High-throughput sequencing technologies develop rapidly, empowering large-scale screening of various biological samples for the presence of pathogen-associated nucleotide sequences, but many organisms are yet to be attributed specific loci for identification. This problem particularly impedes viral screening, due to vast heterogeneity in viral genomes.