{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7213670595","doi":"https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.09.17.746571","title":"AI-Powered Discovery of Novel RNA Viruses from the Permafrost of a 14,300-Year-Old Pleistocene Wolf","display_name":"AI-Powered Discovery of Novel RNA Viruses from the Permafrost of a 14,300-Year-Old Pleistocene Wolf","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-09-18","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7213670595","doi":"https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.09.17.746571"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.64898/2026.09.17.746571","doi":"https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.09.17.746571","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.09.17.746571","pdf_url":"https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2026/09/18/2026.09.17.746571.full.pdf","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306402567","display_name":"bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I2750212522","host_organization_name":"Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I2750212522"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by-nc-nd","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-nc-nd","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"bioRxiv","raw_type":"posted-content"},"volume":null,"type":"preprint","is_traditional":true,"indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2026/09/18/2026.09.17.746571.full.pdf","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5033023819","display_name":"Syed Zaheer ud-Din","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2770-4481","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2770-4481"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I126520041","display_name":"University of Science and Technology of China","ror":"https://ror.org/04c4dkn09","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I126520041","https://openalex.org/I19820366"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Syed Zaheer ud Din","raw_affiliation_strings":["Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, Anhui, China","Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230001, China","Key Laboratory of Anhui Province for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2770-4481","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, Anhui, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I126520041"]},{"raw_affiliation_string":"Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230001, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I126520041"]},{"raw_affiliation_string":"Key Laboratory of Anhui Province for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I126520041"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5030569218","display_name":"Qingfa Wu","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5420-6213","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5420-6213"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I126520041","display_name":"University of Science and Technology of China","ror":"https://ror.org/04c4dkn09","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I126520041","https://openalex.org/I19820366"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Qingfa Wu","raw_affiliation_strings":["Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, Anhui, China","Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230001, China","Key Laboratory of Anhui Province for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5420-6213","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, Anhui, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I126520041"]},{"raw_affiliation_string":"Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230001, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I126520041"]},{"raw_affiliation_string":"Key Laboratory of Anhui Province for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I126520041"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":1,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5030569218"],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I126520041"],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":true,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10015","display_name":"Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies","score":0.24899999797344208,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1312","display_name":"Molecular Biology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/13","display_name":"Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/1","display_name":"Life Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10015","display_name":"Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies","score":0.24899999797344208,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1312","display_name":"Molecular Biology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/13","display_name":"Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/1","display_name":"Life Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13220","display_name":"Plant and Fungal Interactions Research","score":0.14419999718666077,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2406","display_name":"Virology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/24","display_name":"Immunology and Microbiology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/1","display_name":"Life Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13409","display_name":"Paleopathology and ancient diseases","score":0.08860000222921371,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1204","display_name":"Archeology (arts and humanities)"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/12","display_name":"Arts and Humanities"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/ancient-viruses","display_name":"ancient viruses","score":0.781000018119812},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/rna-viruses","display_name":"RNA viruses","score":0.925000011920929},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/paleovirology","display_name":"paleovirology","score":0.7799999713897705},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/permafrost","display_name":"permafrost","score":0.7310000061988831},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/wolves","display_name":"wolf","score":0.984000027179718},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/mycoviruses","display_name":"mycoviruses","score":0.7210000157356262},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/rna-dependent-rna-polymerase","display_name":"RNA-dependent RNA polymerase","score":0.9300000071525574},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/alphafold2","display_name":"AlphaFold2","score":0.8100000023841858},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/woolly-mammoth","display_name":"woolly mammoth","score":0.8899999856948853},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/tasmanian-tiger","display_name":"Tasmanian tiger","score":0.9629999995231628},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/rna-preservation","display_name":"RNA preservation","score":0.3449999988079071}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C86803240","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q420","display_name":"Biology","level":0,"score":0.7075999975204468},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C67705224","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11053","display_name":"RNA","level":3,"score":0.5439000129699707},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C78458016","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q840400","display_name":"Evolutionary biology","level":1,"score":0.5142999887466431},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C193252679","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q242125","display_name":"Phylogenetic tree","level":3,"score":0.491100013256073},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C90132467","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q171184","display_name":"Phylogenetics","level":3,"score":0.48809999227523804},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C8769409","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2066554","display_name":"Viral evolution","level":4,"score":0.42660000920295715},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C44465124","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q713623","display_name":"Clade","level":4,"score":0.41100001335144043},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C141231307","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7020","display_name":"Genome","level":3,"score":0.3917999863624573},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C189338579","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q290447","display_name":"Ancient DNA","level":3,"score":0.3831000030040741},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779174946","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q751911","display_name":"RNA virus","level":4,"score":0.36980000138282776},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C51679486","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q380546","display_name":"DNA sequencing","level":3,"score":0.3653999865055084},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C165525559","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q224180","display_name":"Homology (biology)","level":3,"score":0.325300008058548},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C54355233","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7162","display_name":"Genetics","level":1,"score":0.3158000111579895},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C70721500","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q177005","display_name":"Computational biology","level":1,"score":0.28790000081062317},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C189206191","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q222046","display_name":"Genomics","level":4,"score":0.28769999742507935},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776449523","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q272631","display_name":"RNA polymerase","level":4,"score":0.2678000032901764},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C132917006","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5250436","display_name":"Deep sequencing","level":4,"score":0.25699999928474426},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C137858568","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7239","display_name":"Organism","level":2,"score":0.2565000057220459},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C159047783","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7215","display_name":"Virology","level":1,"score":0.2517000138759613}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.64898/2026.09.17.746571","doi":"https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.09.17.746571","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.09.17.746571","pdf_url":"https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2026/09/18/2026.09.17.746571.full.pdf","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306402567","display_name":"bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I2750212522","host_organization_name":"Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I2750212522"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by-nc-nd","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-nc-nd","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"bioRxiv","raw_type":"posted-content"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.64898/2026.09.17.746571","doi":"https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.09.17.746571","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.09.17.746571","pdf_url":"https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2026/09/18/2026.09.17.746571.full.pdf","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306402567","display_name":"bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I2750212522","host_organization_name":"Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I2750212522"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by-nc-nd","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-nc-nd","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"bioRxiv","raw_type":"posted-content"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"study_designs":[],"awards":[],"funders":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320321133","display_name":"Chinese Academy of Sciences","ror":"https://ror.org/034t30j35"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320325599","display_name":"University of Science and Technology of China","ror":"https://ror.org/04c4dkn09"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320332035","display_name":"Alliance of International Science Organizations","ror":"https://ror.org/01c6a8q83"}],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":true,"pdf":true},"content_urls":{"pdf":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W7213670595.pdf","grobid_xml":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W7213670595.grobid-xml"},"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W2966039126","https://openalex.org/W7126166550","https://openalex.org/W4416275620","https://openalex.org/W3123648429","https://openalex.org/W4408056757","https://openalex.org/W7119535117","https://openalex.org/W4417479321","https://openalex.org/W1545269393","https://openalex.org/W4366997925","https://openalex.org/W6927074279"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Abstract":[0],"Ancient":[1],"viruses":[2,29,149,188,229],"preserved":[3],"as":[4],"molecular":[5],"relics":[6],"offer":[7],"rare":[8],"and":[9,16,44,65,99,166,190,201,263,271],"often":[10],"unpredictable":[11],"insights":[12],"into":[13],"virus-host":[14],"co-evolution":[15],"the":[17,24,38,45,85,92,100,113,175,179,197,222,236,260],"ecological":[18],"dynamics":[19],"of":[20,26,42,47,52,73,128,226],"past":[21],"ecosystems.":[22,273],"However,":[23],"recovery":[25],"ancient":[27,80,215,269],"RNA":[28,43,136,148,228],"via":[30,123],"paleotranscriptomics":[31],"has":[32],"remained":[33],"largely":[34],"unexplored,":[35],"constrained":[36],"by":[37],"inherent":[39],"chemical":[40],"instability":[41],"lack":[46],"sensitive":[48,109],"detection":[49],"tools":[50],"capable":[51],"identifying":[53],"deeply":[54],"divergent":[55],"sequences.":[56],"Here,":[57],"we":[58],"leveraged":[59],"recent":[60],"advances":[61],"in":[62,150],"artificial":[63],"intelligence":[64],"high-throughput":[66],"sequencing":[67,130],"to":[68,125,242],"conduct":[69],"comprehensive":[70],"metatranscriptomic":[71],"mining":[72],"publicly":[74],"available":[75],"RNA-seq":[76],"datasets":[77],"from":[78,186,240],"three":[79],"or":[81],"extinct":[82],"host":[83,261],"species:":[84],"woolly":[86],"mammoth":[87],"(":[88,95,103,164],"Mammuthus":[89],"primigenius":[90],"),":[91,98,168],"Tasmanian":[93],"tiger":[94],"Thylacinus":[96],"cynocephalus":[97],"gray":[101],"wolf":[102,154,180],"Canis":[104],"lupus":[105],").":[106],"We":[107],"performed":[108],"homology":[110],"searches":[111],"using":[112],"AI-driven":[114],"protein":[115],"language":[116],"model":[117],"Lucaprot,":[118],"coupled":[119],"with":[120],"structural":[121],"validation":[122],"AlphaFold2,":[124],"screen":[126],"billions":[127],"raw":[129],"reads":[131],"for":[132,255,267],"conserved":[133],"viral":[134,272],"RNA-dependent":[135],"polymerase":[137],"(RdRp)":[138],"signature":[139],"genes.":[140],"Our":[141,246],"pipeline":[142],"identified":[143],"two":[144],"complete":[145],"previously":[146],"unknown":[147],"a":[151,232,252],"14,300-year-old":[152],"Pleistocene":[153],"specimen.":[155],"Phylogenetic":[156],"analyses":[157,211],"placed":[158],"them":[159],"within":[160,231],"established":[161],"mycovirus":[162],"genera":[163],"Duamitovirus":[165],"Orthocurvulavirus":[167],"indicating":[169],"they":[170],"infected":[171],"fungi":[172],"that":[173,249],"inhabited":[174],"carcass":[176],"rather":[177],"than":[178],"itself.":[181],"Despite":[182],"deep":[183],"sequence":[184],"divergence":[185],"known":[187],"(57.6%":[189],"60.8%":[191],"RdRp":[192],"amino":[193],"acid":[194],"identity,":[195],"respectively),":[196],"catalytic":[198],"A,":[199],"B,":[200],"C":[202],"motifs":[203],"remain":[204],"structurally":[205],"intact.":[206],"Strict":[207],"authentication":[208],"through":[209],"multiple":[210],"firmly":[212],"verified":[213],"their":[214],"provenance.":[216],"To":[217],"our":[218],"knowledge,":[219],"this":[220],"is":[221,251],"earliest":[223],"documented":[224],"evidence":[225],"novel":[227],"persisting":[230],"host-associated":[233],"microbiome,":[234],"extending":[235,258],"observed":[237],"preservation":[238],"timescale":[239],"centuries":[241],"over":[243],"fourteen":[244],"millennia.":[245],"findings":[247],"demonstrate":[248],"permafrost":[250],"viable":[253],"substrate":[254],"paleovirological":[256],"discovery":[257],"beyond":[259],"organism":[262],"opening":[264],"new":[265],"opportunities":[266],"reconstructing":[268],"microbial":[270]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-11-09T13:22:03.289127","created_date":"2026-09-20T00:00:00"}