EnviroViroSeq: Advanced HTS Analysis of Viromes in Hops and the Environment Supported by Artificial Intelligence

A new project led by IHPS, in collaboration with BF UL and IJS, which aims to improve the impact on plant health.

The project EnviroViroSeq: Advanced HTS Analysis of Viromes in Hops and the Environment Supported by Artificial Intelligence focuses on the application of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) to study plant viruses, which represent a major threat to agricultural production. HTS enables comprehensive analysis of viromes, including the discovery of previously unknown viruses and viroids, and improves understanding of their diversity, transmission, and impact on plant health.

The project aims to investigate viromes in hops and related agroecosystems in Slovenia.

It includes the analysis of viruses in hops, surrounding plants, weeds, and irrigation water to identify potential reservoirs and assess how environmental factors influence their spread. Advanced HTS technologies, Nanopore sequencing, and artificial intelligence (AI) are used to analyze complex datasets and detect novel pathogens.

The project is led by the Partners from the Slovenian Institute of Hop Research and Brewing (IHPS), the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana (BF), and the Jožef Stefan Institute (IJS) met in Ljubljana to establish the project timeline and plan its implementation. It started on 1 March 2026 and will contribute to improved understanding and management of plant viral diseases.

In March 2026, representatives from the IHPS, BF UL and JSI gathered in Ljubljana to establish the project timeline and plan its implementation (on photo).

More information about the EnviroViroSeq project.

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