Sep 21, 2020
Returning guest Shiraz Shah
specializes in bioinformatics. He uses microbial data analysis to
uncover the complex and fascinating relationships between
viruses, bacteria, and chronic conditions like childhood
asthma.
This conversation serves as part of a series in preparation for
Richard's upcoming book on
viruses, and Shiraz Shah shares his unique and valuable
perspective on viral structure and functions gleaned from years of
cutting-edge analysis.
Topics include
- How CRISPR research and techniques are derived from bacteria snipping and retaining parts of viruses that infected the bacteria,
- How human DNA is part of the evolution arms race between bacteria and viruses, and
- How the presence of a type of prophage in a person's gut can make the difference in immune therapy cancer treatment and what this implies about the complex influence of viruses.
Shiraz Shah is a senior
researcher at the Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in
Childhood (COPSAC). Much of his graduate work focused on
CRISPR-Cas9 bioinformatics. His current work involves analysis of
data regarding bacteria hosts and
viruses in the gut microbiome in particular.
He explains how this analysis works at the level of genomics; for
example, a virome sequencing might be compared to numerous other
protein sequences in a search for significant patterns. COPSAC
plans to take this collection of virus and bacteria data and follow
the cohort of children for any corresponding organisms that might
indicate causes or preventions of childhood
asthma.
This opens up into an
enlightening conversation about the complex role of phages, which
are
viruses that use bacteria as their host cell. Viruses are
everywhere, Dr. Shah asserts, and he believes our old view that
viruses are predominantly dangerous, mostly causing sickness, is
outdated. Most of us and the kids COPSAC studies are full of
viruses without any sickness. So, what are those
viruses up to? Replicating. And that effort makes for a
sometimes commensal or mutualistic host relationship.
Dr. Shah explains that scientists see a lot of prophages that are
maintained over several generations and kept by bacteria because
they help the host bacteria. He and Richard bring up examples
involving cancer and cholera, where a phage's presence changes the
bacterial response in a human body in numerous ways, sometimes
beneficial or commensal, and sometimes towards more virulent
behaviors.
Dr. Shah and Richard also debate the level of intent, signaling,
and quorum-sensing abilities of viruses. Near the end of their
conversation, Dr. Shah explains that his present work, called
viromics, may have as a significant impact as metagenomics. In a
few years, scientists may therefore have a completely different and
exciting view of
viruses. Listen in for an expert's view of this new type of
foundational research.
For more about Shiraz Shah, see
his page at COPSAC: copsac.com/home/about/staff/shiraz-shah/.
Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK