Unlocking the Viral Unknown: How Protein Analysis and AI Are Revealing a Hidden World of Viruses

For decades, the study of viruses has been like searching for stars with a telescope that only recognizes familiar constellations. Researchers could detect viruses that resembled known ones—those with genetic sequences already cataloged—but this left an entire universe of unknown viruses, often referred to as the “viral dark matter,” hidden from view. This blind spot…