Curtis Suttle
banner
virosphere.bsky.social
Curtis Suttle
@virosphere.bsky.social

Purveyor of the Virosphere.
Professor Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences, Microbiology & Immunology, Botany, and the Inst for the Oceans & Fisheries - UBC
https://www.eoas.ubc.ca/people/curtissuttle

Curtis A. Suttle is a Canadian microbiologist and oceanographer who is a faculty member at the University of British Columbia. Suttle is a Distinguished University Professor who holds appointments in Earth & Ocean Sciences, Botany, Microbiology & Immunology and the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. On 29 December, 2021 he was named to the Order of Canada. His research is focused on the ecology of viruses in marine systems as well as other natural environments. .. more

Environmental science 52%
Biology 17%

Reposted by Curtis A. Suttle

The Department of Physics & Astronomy invites young scientists and their families to our free science show on Sunday November 30, 2025 on UBC campus! Come explore science with us as we 'Expand our Senses and movements with Tech!' phas.ubc.ca/2025-faraday... @triumflab.bsky.social @science.ubc.ca

Applications are now open for two two-year UBC Biodiversity Postdoc Fellowships biodiversity.ubc.ca/training-and.... $77,000 /y + benefits and $7000 /y research funds.

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.

Reposted by Curtis A. Suttle

Marine heatwaves are becoming more frequent with global warming, but could they in turn exacerbate climate change? In a new study, Steven Hallam's team reports that spurts of intense ocean warming can impact microbial community structure and carbon cycling: mbim.ubc.ca/news/marine-...
I gave a talk last year at TEDxNewEngland aimed at introducing the idea of viral sociality to a general audience, including implications for evolution & virology. Video now available online below.

#socialviruses #evosky #virosky 🧪
The social lives of viruses | Asher Leeks | TEDxNewEngland
YouTube video by TEDx Talks
www.youtube.com

Come join us at UBC!
The Department of Physics and Astronomy in the Faculty of Science at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver seeks an emerging research leader for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair position in Medical Physics. academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/307... @science.ubc.ca @ubcmedicine.bsky.social

Reposted by Curtis A. Suttle

The Department of Physics and Astronomy in the Faculty of Science at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver seeks an emerging research leader for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair position in Medical Physics. academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/307... @science.ubc.ca @ubcmedicine.bsky.social

Another casualty of the time, after nearly four decades, the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS) is shutting down www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDtm....
ARCUS Final ARCUS Community Call
YouTube video by Arctic Research Consortium of the United States
www.youtube.com

Reposted by Curtis A. Suttle

As the government finalizes its plan to transition away from open-net pen #salmon farming in B.C., it is crucial that decision-makers have a clear pathway to receive robust #science advice - Dr. Gideon Mordecai vancouversun.com/opinion/op-e... via @vancouversun.bsky.social @science.ubc.ca
Opinion: DFO’s flawed science leaves wild salmon vulnerable to disease
As government finalizes plan to transition away from open-net pen salmon farming in B.C., decision-makers must receive robust science advice
vancouversun.com

Reposted by Curtis A. Suttle

In as much as a third of flu infections, parasitic "cheating" viruses 🦠 come to outnumber normal viruses - which helps limit the severity of infections 🧪

That's what @asherleeks.bsky.social and co have found by analysing sequencing data

www.newscientist.com/article/2496...
Some viruses like to cheat – and that may be good for our health
Mutations can result in viruses that infect cells, but can't copy themselves without help from other viruses - now it seems these cheats may outnumber normal viruses in a third of influenza cases, red...
www.newscientist.com
Are you a recent PhD interested in a postdoc in Canada? Up to 20% of NSERC Postdoc Fellowships (70k/y for 2y) will be awarded to International applicants, who did their PhD outside of Canada. Deadline is 17 October. See: www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etu...
NSERC - Canada Postdoctoral Research Award program
NSERC - Canada Postdoctoral Research Award program
www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca

Reposted by Curtis A. Suttle

Come join us in Knoxville. Faculty position looking for those interested in the quantitative aspects of phototroph-microbe interactions.

Come join us at UBC, and flex your pedagogical vision!
@science.ubc.ca is hiring a Black scholar for a tenure-stream Assistant Professor of Teaching! Seeking applicants in data, computer, computational, environmental sciences, or stats.

❗Deadline: Oct 15, 2025❗

🔗Details: tinyurl.com/4xxt5nww

@cs.ubc.ca @ubcoceans.bsky.social

Reposted by Curtis A. Suttle

@science.ubc.ca is hiring a Black scholar for a tenure-stream Assistant Professor of Teaching! Seeking applicants in data, computer, computational, environmental sciences, or stats.

❗Deadline: Oct 15, 2025❗

🔗Details: tinyurl.com/4xxt5nww

@cs.ubc.ca @ubcoceans.bsky.social

Coffee and snacks! 😲
Colloquium is back!!

8 of our profs, with experience from over 20 years to under 2 weeks in the job.

Each with 8 minutes to weave a compelling scientific tale - not one to miss!

12pm for snacks, 12:30 for science. Tomorrow in ESB 5104 - see you there!

Reposted by Curtis A. Suttle

Colloquium is back!!

8 of our profs, with experience from over 20 years to under 2 weeks in the job.

Each with 8 minutes to weave a compelling scientific tale - not one to miss!

12pm for snacks, 12:30 for science. Tomorrow in ESB 5104 - see you there!

Congratulations! What a great group of researchers!

Great opportunity to sharpen your climate chops, and get free pizza!
Sign up now at the link in bio for the Certificate in Climate Studies and Action Welcome event next Thursday!

- Meet other students
- Learn about the program
- 18 Credits, open to any students from any undergraduate program who are interested in climate change
- Pizza! 🍕

See you there :)

Reposted by Curtis A. Suttle

Sign up now at the link in bio for the Certificate in Climate Studies and Action Welcome event next Thursday!

- Meet other students
- Learn about the program
- 18 Credits, open to any students from any undergraduate program who are interested in climate change
- Pizza! 🍕

See you there :)

Reposted by Curtis A. Suttle

Congratulations to the UBC Science researchers named Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada: Drs. William Cheung, Tamara Munzner, Ingrid Stairs, Allan Bertram & Joanna McGrenere. @src-rsc.bsky.social @ubcphas.bsky.social @chem.ubc.ca @cs.ubc.ca ubcoceans.bsky.social‬science.ubc.ca/news/2025-09...da
Five UBC Science researchers join Royal Society of Canada
Five UBC Science professors have been named Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) for their research in the fields of atmospheric aerosols, marine ecosystems and fisheries, fast radio bursts, c...
science.ubc.ca

@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...

We cannot definitively say that it was the cause, but we can show its association with a mass mortality event. This week we will collect more samples to see if it is associated with an ongoing mortality event.
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/...

Reposted by Curtis A. Suttle

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/...

Biology would be great, but in many instances the viruses currently cannot be cultured, and of course many instances where hosts have not been cultured. Yet, we can definitively state that a particular uncultured viruses is infecting a specific hosts. In many cases, ERVs and EVEs can be identified.

The taxonomic landscape has become extremely complicated and too dynamic. That said, there are many instances in which viruses that are only known from sequences are seen repeatedly, are clearly infecting their hosts, and should be classified. I'm not sure of a tractable resolution.

Join a fantastic educational leadership team in @science.ubc.ca. Tenure-track Assistant Professor of Teaching in STEM Public Engagement, a joint appointment in @ubcmicroimmuno.bsky.social and the Michael Smith Laboratories. See full details academicjobsonline.org/ajo/events/3...

Reposted by Curtis A. Suttle

#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
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