ARKHANGELSK, July 21. /TASS/. During the Arctic Floating University, microbiologists will work out a method to concentrate viruses during sampling in Arctic lakes, Artemy Goncharov, head of the Laboratory for Monitoring Biological Threats at the Institute of Experimental Medicine, Professor of the Epidemiology, Parasitology and Disinfection Department at the Mechnikov Northwestern State Medical University, told TASS from aboard the Professor Molchanov research vessel.

This technology may be used in the Antarctica, he added.

"We will try to concentrate the lake water's viral part of the microbiome. We assume that lakes accumulate viruses that are specific for the surrounding area. First, by using filtration we will get rid of bacteria and any pollutants. Virus particles have a negative charge. We a suspension of magnetic particles. The suspension contains microscopic magnetic beads that can attach virus particles, thus we will try to concentrate viruses, which are likely to be few, but they anyway will be there. Practicing this method is probably the main thing that I would like to do during this voyage," the scientist said.

The sediment containing the virus concentrate will be examined in various ways, including by the metagenomic method that allows studying the entire genetic material skipping the stage of cultivating individual microorganisms and viruses.

Russian scientists nowadays have domestic kits for concentrating virus particles, he continued. "It seems to us that the method could be used in field works."

The technology will be used in an expedition to the Antarctica.

The Professor Molchanov departed from Arkhangelsk on July 9, and the expedition will continue to August 1. The project's sponsors and partners are Russia's Ministry of Science and Higher Education, VTB Bank (the general sponsor), the Russian Geographical Society, the Norilsk Nickel Company, and the Floating University Coordination Center based at MIPT.