The Viral Volcano

This erupting ‘volcano’ is the intrusion of African swine fever virus into a pig lymph node. Red like magma, populations of immune cells become infected by the virus, while pink flecks of ‘ashes’ reveal viral RNA spreading through the tissue.

Although African swine fever virus has not been detected in Australia, scientists at CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness are studying how the virus infects pigs and how immune responses shape disease progression, supporting future vaccine and diagnostic development. Without viable vaccines, an outbreak could devastate animal health and the global pork industry.

This multicolour immune landscape was visualised using the Lunaphore COMET spatial multi-omics platform at WEHI, showcasing cross-institute collaborative efforts to fast-track research in disease prevention and therapeutic development.

• Patrick Lam
• Lulu Xing
• Richard Ploeg, CSIRO