The paper shows non-cyclic dinucleotide STING agonists effectively suppress MPXV infection by bypassing poxin-mediated inhibition, leading to reduced viral replication and improved survival in mice.

bioRxiv · Jun 9, 2026 · PreprintMicrobiology

Dispersal, adaptation and persistence of H5N1 in the sub-Antarctic and Antarctica

Augustin Clessin, Marius Brusselmans, Samuel Leandro Hong, J Tornos, Mathilde Lejeune, Yucai Shao, François‐Xavier Briand, Célia Abolnik, Benjamin Kaza, Marc A. Suchard, Begoña Aguado, Antonio Alcamı́, Christophe Barbraud, Martin Beer, Ashley Bennison, , Guy Baele

This study tracks the spread and evolution of H5N1 in the sub-Antarctic and Antarctica, revealing long-distance dispersal and mammalian-adaptive mutations.

bioRxiv · Mar 31, 2026 · PreprintMicrobiology

Antarctic Soil Auxiliarome: unraveling the pan-auxiliary metabolic genes catalogue in a transect across different ice-free regions of Antarctica

Sergio Sánchez-Carrillo, Rafael Gonzalez-Serrano, María del Cermen Fernández-Moyano, Stephen Craig Cary, Ian R. McDonald, Antonio Alcamı́

This study identifies 18 new viral families and examines how elevation and distance to the coast influence viral diversity and auxiliary metabolic genes in Antarctic soils.

bioRxiv · Oct 13, 2025 · PreprintMicrobiology

Enhanced mouse virulence of mpox virus clade Ib over clade IIb despite genomic changes caused by human-to-human transmission

Alazne R. Unanue, Rocío Martín, Carolina Sánchez, Ana Moraga-Quintanilla, Laura Fernandez del Ama, Pedro J. Sánchez‐Cordón, Antonio Alcamı́, Bruno Hernáez

This study compares the virulence of mpox virus clade Ib and IIb, finding clade Ib is more virulent in mice despite genomic changes from human-to-human transmission.

bioRxiv · Sep 22, 2025 · PreprintMicrobiology

Viral soluble decoy receptor as a novel treatment for IFN-I triggered diseases

Francisco Javier Alvarez-de Miranda, Isabel Alonso-Sánchez, Pilar Delgado, Antonio Santos‐Peral, Bruno Hernáez, Antonio Alcamı́

This study explores the use of viral IFN-I binding protein as a therapeutic to neutralize IFN-I and treat autoinflammatory diseases in mouse models.

bioRxiv · Aug 12, 2025 · PreprintImmunology

New minimally invasive techniques for sample collection in Antarctic seals

Florencia Anabella Soto, Habib Delfino Ahumada, Ángela Vázquez-Calvo, Antonio Alcamı́, Javier Negrete

The paper develops a remote sampling device to collect nasal swabs from Antarctic seals without physical contact, testing negative for avian influenza virus.

bioRxiv · Jul 15, 2025 · PreprintZoology

The expanding avian influenza panzootic: skua die-off in Antarctica

Matteo Iervolino, Anne Günther, Lineke Begeman, Begoña Aguado, Theo M. Bestebroer, Beatriz Bellido Martin, Adam Coerper, María Valentina Fornillo, Bruno Fusaro, Andrés Esteban Ibañez, Lonneke M. E. Leijten, Simeon Lisovski, Mariané B. Mañez, Alice Reade, Peter van Run, , Thijs Kuiken

This study reports H5 HPAIV causing high mortality in skuas in Antarctica, highlighting risks to their populations and potential role in virus spread.

bioRxiv · Apr 25, 2025 · PreprintMicrobiology

Attenuation of the 2022 global outbreak monkeypox virus relative to its clade IIb ancestor

Rebecca P. Sumner, Lucy Eke, Bruno Hernáez, Alasdair J. M. Hood, Telma Sancheira Freitas, Hannah Ashby, Ailish Ellis, Marine J. Petit, Sian Lant, Isobel Stokes, Preetam Parija, I. Alonso, Francisco Javier Alvarez-de Miranda, Alazne R. Unanue, Bryan Charleston, , Carlos Maluquer de Motes

This study compares a 2022 MPXV lineage B.1 virus with its clade IIb ancestor A.1, showing attenuated phenotypes including reduced virulence and immune evasion.

bioRxiv · Feb 27, 2025 · PreprintMicrobiology