On September 4, Beijing time, Prof. He Wanting of our university, in collaboration with Fudan University and other organizations, published a long research article online in the journal Nature entitled Farmed fur animals harbor viruses with zoonotic spillover potential (original link: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07901-3), and Prof. He Wanting of Fudan University is the co-corresponding author of the paper.
The frequency and unpredictability of emerging infectious diseases are usually associated with animal-derived pathogens, especially in areas with frequent human-animal contact, and there is still a huge gap in pathogen ecology data. This study utilized single-sample macro-genome sequencing technology for highly sensitive detection of low-abundance viruses and in-depth characterization of viral groups and their diversity in a wide range of mammals. A total of 125 vertebrate-associated viral genome sequences were identified, and viral co-infections were resolved in detail at multiple systemic levels, including taxon, population, individual, and tissue levels. The results suggest that these mammals may be important bridges for virus transmission across species. By integrating geographic distribution, evolutionary dynamics, and public big data, the team has identified a number of viruses with the potential for “cross-host” transmission, such as Gaetavirus and Canine Measles Virus, and systematically evaluated the cross-species transmission patterns of these viruses. The study reveals the ecological and epidemiological characteristics of these viruses, providing important data for future surveillance and early warning. It is reported that the paper was highly praised by the official Highlight allotted on the same day.
Prof. He Wanting is a young talent introduced by the university in 2023, mainly engaged in the research on the intersection of bioinformatic computing and virology, with the development of molecular identification methods for emerging and re-emerging pathogens and epidemiological modeling as the core, she has published more than 10 representative articles as the first author or corresponding author (including co-authors) in journals such as Nature, Cell, Molecular Biology and Evolution, etc., and has been selected as the first author of more than 10 articles in the journals. She has published more than 10 representative articles in journals such as Nature, Cell, Molecular Biology and Evolution, etc. She was selected for the 9th China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) Young Talent Support Project, and won the second prize of the 2nd China Biophysical Society Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievements for Women Scientists, and the Young Science and Technology Award of Jiangsu Provincial Agricultural Society.
