Reviving Marine Viruses with "Salvage Technology:" Advancing Understanding of Carbon Cycling and Opening New Possibilities for Fisheries

Q1. What inspired you to become a researcher?

A1. The sense of accomplishment when papers are read worldwide

My childhood dream was to be a picture book writer. I loved both drawing and reading, and I thought becoming a picture book author was the perfect job, combining everything I enjoyed. As I got older, my interests shifted as I advanced through school, and at university, I entered a food microbiology laboratory.

It was during my first year of master's studies that I became conscious of becoming a researcher. After a foodborne outbreak of norovirus in Japan, I began wondering how long norovirus remain viable in food manufacturing process. Then I set up an experimental system, collected data, and summarized it in a paper. I struggled with writing my first paper, rewriting it many times while learning from my professors. When the paper was published in an international journal, I felt a great sense of accomplishment knowing that researchers around the world could read my work. In a way, publishing a research paper, a work built from figures, data, and text, has something in common with being a picture book author.

Q2. What research are you currently working on?

A2. Technology to reboot uncultivated viruses

Since studying norovirus in the field of food science as a student, I have continued pursuing virus-focused research across multiple disciplines. Currently, I am researching the diversity of environmental viruses and their relationships with hosts. Although viruses have a simple structure consisting of a protein coat and genetic material, in the ocean they exert major influences on dynamic phenomena such as the termination of red tides and carbon cycles.

For example, in the ocean, part of the carbon taken in by phytoplankton through photosynthesis is transported to the seafloor and accumulated for long periods. This mechanism is called the "biological carbon pump" and supports the global-scale carbon cycle. In recent years, researchers have discovered that viruses play a role in determining how efficiently this process operates.

However, most ocean viruses have not been cultured, and directly investigating their functions in the laboratory is impossible. Consequently, current research relies on metagenomic analyses to predict viral functions based on genomic information obtained from environmental samples.

To address this challenge, I am developing methods to culture and reboot uncultured marine viruses. In addition to establishing efficient isolation and culture methods, I am advancing the development of "salvage" technology to synthesize viral genes, introduce them into host cells, and regenerate them as infectious particles. By establishing a library of cultured and rebooted viruses, I aim to experimentally elucidate the roles viruses play in ocean carbon cycling and ecosystems. The ocean harbors an enormous number of unexplored viruses. Culturing and rebooting these viruses to elucidate their functions could contribute not only to a better understanding of marine ecosystems, but also to new industrial applications such as microbial control technology and biomanufacturing.

Q3. What is your message to aspiring researchers?

A3. Go and experience primary information firsthand

What matters most to me in research is taking action when something sparks my interest. What led me into environmental virus research was attending a symposium during my doctoral studies and introducing myself to one of the speakers afterward.That encounter served as a connection, and I later gained the opportunity to research under that professor. Had I not taken that step back then, I believe my life would have turned out very differently. Seeking out primary sources firsthand and building relationships with others are values I hope to continue embracing.

Research is full of setbacks and unexpected challenges, but nothing compares to the joy of sharing your own discoveries with the world. Seeing other researchers share my excitement about a discovery is what motivates me to keep going.

(Article: Yasuhiro Hatabe)