AI scans RNA ‘dark matter’ and uncovers 70,000 new viruses

A trawl of genomic samples archived in publicly available databases has revealed 70,500 RNA viruses that were previously unknown to science, many of them weird and nothing like known species. Researchers developed a deep-learning model to recognize the gene sequences that encode a key protein in the ubiquitous microorganisms. Looking at more than 10,000 samples from around the world, the team found new viruses in environments that included air, hot springs and hydrothermal vents.