Guess what’s the next big VIRAL hit…
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Traditional methods for tracking new viral strains are slow, leaving us scrambling to update vaccines. In fact, many viruses go undetected completely!
Enter Noemie Lefrancq and colleagues from Cambridge University. They developed Phylowave, a tool that acts like a talent judge for disease variants.
Phylowave identifies which germs are most likely to successfully infect humans. It analyzes genetic sequences to detect mutations giving viruses an edge. Testing showed that Phylowave can spot rising variants just two months after their initial emergence. This can help health authorities respond faster.
Like a little Simon Cowell, Phylowave finds tomorrow’s superstar germs… and the day after tomorrow’s one hit wonders.
Reference: Lefrancq, N., Duret, L., Bouchez, V., Brisse, S., Parkhill, J., & Salje, H. (2025). Learning the fitness dynamics of pathogens from phylogenies. Nature, 1-8.