What is vB_HmeY_H4907? The new virus found in Pacific in Earth's oceans

At the lowest point, nearly 11,000 metres below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, a new virus named vB_HmeY_H4907 has been discovered on Earth. The discovery of this virus has taken place in the Pacific at the murky depths of the trench between Indonesia and Japan.

According to scientists, such trenches are home to myriad weird and wonderful creatures, including the seadevil anglerfish and goblin shark. Notably, it is also home to billions of microscopic residents such as bacteria and some of those are infected with a newly discovered virus. These infect a group of bacteria known as Halomonas, which are often found in sediments from the deep seas and from hydrothermal vents, openings on the seafloor that release streams of heated water, reported UK-based Metro. 

What is vB_HmeY_H4907 or Bacteriophage?

According to Dr Min Wang, "Wherever there’s life, you can bet there are regulators at work." "Viruses, in this case," he added. Notably, Dr Wang has been leading the new study of the trench where his team has discovered sediment, collected at 8,900 metres deep. 

The virus has been understood as a Bacteriophage, which means ‘bacteria eater’. This type of bacteria virus infects and replicates inside bacteria, but in this case, does not appear to kill its host. As the bacteria cell divides, the viral genetic material also multiplies and can be passed on. 

Further, the news study has not been considered a threat to people, because it does not attack human cells. ‘To our best knowledge, this is the deepest known isolated phage in the global ocean,’ said Dr Wang, reported Metro. Further, Bacteriophages have been the most abundant lifeforms on Earth, however, whether the viruses are alive or not has remained in debate.  

The research team examined for viruses in bacterial strains that had been collected and isolated by another team under Yu-Zhong Zhang, also a marine virologist at the Ocean University of China, reported Daily Mail. According to marine scientists, Climate change and rising ocean temperatures affect ocean currents and sedimentation. Marine virologists at the Ocean University of China have speculated that these environmental factors may impact the survival pressures on viruses as their hosts' metabolism changes due to changes in the ocean.