🧑‍🔬 The Scientist | The Science 🔬 Qi Yang, Oceanography In this series we are showcasing some of the incredible graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in the EOAS department, along with a taste of what they're working on right now.

Dean of Science and UBC chemist Dr. Mark MacLachlan has a science themed crossword in the New York Times. "This puzzle’s theme idea came to me when I got one of those pesky error messages on my computer," Dr. MacLachlan said. @chem.ubc.ca www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/c...

Alert! Alert!

nytimes.com

A mysterious virus may be linked to mass die-offs of Pacific oysters. Curtis Suttle and Kevin Xu Zhong discuss the discovery of a previously unknown nidovirus and its potential implications for global aquaculture in the latest PNAS Science Sessions episode. Listen now: https://ow.ly/oRT750XsRNN

When you peak inside an oyster, it's remarkable what one finds. Rather than "The world is my oyster" sensu William Shakespeare, it should be changed to "The world is an oyster", as a metaphor of the vast diversity of life residing within these humble molluscs; there are magnificent microbes within.

Kevin Xu Zhong@kevinzhong2006.bsky.social · 10mo ago

In Pacific oyster, we identified a bacterium showing remarkable metabolic potential, including genes to degrade xenobiotics like PAHs, common pollutants from petroleum and industrial sources 🌱🧫. 👏Big thanks to our amazing team at @virosphere.bsky.social. Read it here 👉 dx.plos.org/10.1371/jour....

In Pacific oyster, we identified a bacterium showing remarkable metabolic potential, including genes to degrade xenobiotics like PAHs, common pollutants from petroleum and industrial sources 🌱🧫. 👏Big thanks to our amazing team at @virosphere.bsky.social. Read it here 👉 dx.plos.org/10.1371/jour....

The genome of Gallaecimonas pentaromativorans strain 10A, isolated from a Pacific oyster, sheds light on an environmentally widespread genus with remarkable metabolic potential

Bacteria in the genus Gallaecimonas are known for their ability to breakdown complex hydrocarbons, making them of particular ecological and biotechnological significance. However, few species have bee...

dx.plos.org

Two covers for papers published on the same day www.pnas.org/toc/pnas/122... & www.nature.com/natecolevol/.... Proud of the team, especially #MelaniePrentice & @kevinzhong2006.bsky.social with @ubcbiodiversity.bsky.social, @eoas.ubc.ca, @ubcoceans.bsky.social, @hakai.org and @science.ubc.ca

Table of Contents — August 19, 2025, 122 (33) | PNAS

View the Table of Contents for Volume 122, Issue 33

pnas.org

In this issue: Gene expression follows familiar rules but at a strange pace in opossums, biochar offers food security and sustainability benefits, and dinosaur teeth preserve atmospheric isotopes. In PNAS: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

@kevinzhong2006.bsky.social shows that Vibrio pectenicida strain FHCF-3 has the genetic potential to produce aerolysin-like toxins journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/... that could be involved in SSWD that killed billions of seastars www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Pacific oysters in British Columbia died in a mass mortality event in 2020. A study identifies the cause: Pacific Oyster Nidovirus 1. The virus possesses one of the largest reported genomes for an RNA virus at 64,331 base pairs. In PNAS: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

"We have not demonstrated a causative effect between this virus and mortality at this point, but they're highly associated," said Curtis Suttle @virosphere.bsky.social www.nationalobserver.com/2025/08/12/n... via @nationalobserver.com @science.ubc.ca

Distant Covid cousin correlates with calamitous oyster die-offs

A previously-unknown virus distantly related to Covid is "strongly associated" with mass die-offs of farmed Pacific oysters in BC, researchers have found.

nationalobserver.com

Draft genome sequence of Vibrio pectenicida strain FHCF-3, a causative agent of sea star wasting disease in the sunflower sea star (Pycnopodia helianthoides), reveals the genetic potential to produce aerolysin-like toxins | Microbiology Resource Announcements journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Draft genome sequence of Vibrio pectenicida strain FHCF-3, a causative agent of sea star wasting disease in the sunflower sea star (Pycnopodia helianthoides), reveals the genetic potential to produce ...

Sunflower sea stars (Pycnopodia helianthoides) along the Pacific coast have been devastated by sea star wasting disease (SSWD) (1). Here, we report the draft genome of Vibrio pectenicida strain FHCF-3...

journals.asm.org

B.C. scientists discover new oyster virus, solve mystery of sea star epidemic

B.C. scientists discover new oyster virus, solve mystery of sea star epidemic

Researchers at a University of British Columbia lab have discovered a virus 'strongly associated' with mass die-offs of farmed Pacific oysters and, in a separate study, the bacteria that wiped out billions of sea stars across the West Coast

dlvr.it

RESEARCH: Evolutionarily divergent nidovirus with an exceptionally large genome identified in Pacific #oysters undergoing mass mortality. Co-authored by @virosphere.bsky.social #AmyChan @eoas.ubc.ca www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1... @pnas.org

Evolutionarily divergent nidovirus with an exceptionally large genome identified in Pacific oysters undergoing mass mortality | PNAS

Metatranscriptomic data from a mass-mortality event of adult Pacific Oysters, Crassostrea (Magallana) gigas, the most widely cultivated shellfish g...

pnas.org

Pacific oysters have been dying in large numbers. Dr. Curtis Suttle, a marine microbiology professor at the #UBC, says that the reason for the die-off could be a previously unknown virus that is a distant relative of coronaviruses: t.co/VbASrGLJjk www.cbc.ca/player/play/...

UBC scientists may have found the reason for a mass Pacific oyster die-off

Pacific oysters are the most widely farmed shellfish in the world, but have recently been dying in large numbers. Curtis Suttle, a marine microbiology professor at the University of B.C., says that th...

cbc.ca

Pacific #oysters are the most widely farmed #shellfish in the world, but have been dying in large numbers. @news.ubc.ca's Dr. Curtis Suttle @virosphere.bsky.social, says that the reason for the die-off could be a previously unknown #virus. www.cbc.ca/player/play/... @science.ubc.ca @eoas.ubc.ca

UBC scientists may have found the reason for a mass Pacific oyster die-off

Pacific oysters are the most widely farmed shellfish in the world, but have recently been dying in large numbers. Curtis Suttle, a marine microbiology professor at the University of B.C., says that th...

cbc.ca

A team of scientists led by Dr. @rhizalyssa.bsky.social, a marine ecologist at @hakai.org Institute & adjunct faculty @ubcoceans.bsky.social, conducted experiments over 4 years to find the culprit, which was “hiding in plain sight,” Dr. Gehman said. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/04/s... via @nytimes.com

Scientists Finally Identify Killer Microbe Behind ‘Terrifying’ Sea Star Disease

nytimes.com

"This discovery highlights how little we know about viruses infecting invertebrates in general and oysters in particular," said senior author Dr. Curtis Suttle. @virosphere.bsky.social @eoas.ubc.ca @science.ubc.ca phys.org/news/2025-08... via @physorg

New mega RNA virus may hold the key to mass oyster die-offs

Scientists have discovered a previously unknown virus in farmed Pacific oysters during a mass die-off in B.C., Canada. The discovery serves as a reminder that growers should exercise caution when movi...

phys.org

"In the absence of sunflower stars, sea urchin populations increase, which means the loss of kelp forests, and that has broad implications for all the other marine species." #UBC scientists identify bacterium behind devastating wasting disease in starfish: www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Scientists identify bacterium behind devastating wasting disease in starfish

After 90% loss of global sunflower sea star population in 10 years, researchers hope decline can now be tackled

theguardian.com

#UBC scientists have discovered a previously unknown virus in farmed Pacific oysters during a mass die-off in B.C., Canada. The discovery serves as a reminder that growers should exercise caution when moving young oysters internationally and domestically: science.ubc.ca/news/2025-08...

New mega RNA virus may hold the key to mass oyster die-offs

Scientists have discovered a previously unknown virus in farmed Pacific oysters during a mass die-off in B.C., Canada.

science.ubc.ca

B.C. scientists discover new oyster virus, solve mystery of sea star epidemic www.timescolonist.com/local-news/b...

B.C. scientists discover new oyster virus, solve mystery of sea star epidemic

Researchers at a University of British Columbia lab have discovered a virus 'strongly associated' with mass die-offs of farmed Pacific oysters and, in a separate study, the bacteria that wiped out bil...

timescolonist.com

Very proud of the work from lab members and collaborators that coincidentally came out today www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... and www.nature.com/articles/s41.... A bacterial and viral pathogen associated with mass mortality in seastars and oysters. @kevinzhong2006.bsky.social @rhizalyssa.bsky.social

Evolutionarily divergent nidovirus with an exceptionally large genome identified in Pacific oysters undergoing mass mortality | PNAS

Metatranscriptomic data from a mass-mortality event of adult Pacific Oysters, Crassostrea (Magallana) gigas, the most widely cultivated shellfish g...

pnas.org

Times Colonist@timescolonist.bsky.social · last yr.

A nicely written piece mbim.ubc.ca/news/the-con... by sarah anderson @ubcmicroimmuno.bsky.social highlighting recent work led by @kevinzhong2006.bsky.social and supported by the GBMF and @hakai.org that shows that the #microbiome of Pacific #oyster spat is affected by T but not pH. @science.ubc.ca