Viral Ecology and Omics

Studying the Microverse
The microverse is defined as the globally connected network of microbiomes that covers the Earth and all things on it. With its ~1030 microbes and ~1031 viruses, the Microverse could be the most complex system we know. Similar environmental conditions may have different outcomes, for example human gut microbiomes may differ significantly, even between related individuals on the same diet. A plethora of factors affect microbiome composition, and to isolate and quantify the impact of any individual factor requires high throughput experiments and 'omics-level measurements. We study viral and microbial ecology across biomes, ranging from environmental (freshwater, marine, terrestrial) to host-associated (human, insect, plant).
Viral Ecology

Parasites are an integral part of any system and the Microverse is no exception. Viruses are genetic parasites that independently arose several times in evolution - some even think that viruses existed before there were cells. More than four billion years of virus-host interactions and co-evolution have led to an incredible diversity in types, behaviors, and mechanisms by which viruses persist. The viral ecosystem is defined by the cellular hosts they infect, so to understand the ecology of viruses we need to understand their interactions with their hosts.
Most of the ~1031 viruses on Earth infect micro-organisms, including bacteria, fungi, protists, archaea, and other microbes. The effects of these viruses may be observed on many levels: They accelerate genomic evolution, act as vectors of horizontal gene transfer, manipulate host phenotypes, contribute to driving the global nutrient cycles, enhance our immune system, and phage therapy could be the solution to the rising global antibiotic resistance crisis.
Perhaps the most important role of viruses of microbes is their effect on the balance of the Microverse, and as such topical for the Cluster of ExcellenceExternal link in JenaExternal link .