Beyond pathogenesis: Detecting the full spectrum of ecological interactions in the virosphere

The public perception of viruses has historically been negative. We are now at a stage where the development of tools to study viruses is at an all-time high, but society's perception of viruses is at an all-time low. The literature regarding viral interactions has been skewed towards negative...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PLoS biology 2023-05, Vol.21 (5), p.e3002109
Main Authors: Jurburg, Stephanie D, Hom, Erik F Y, Chatzinotas, Antonis
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bacteria
Biology and Life Sciences
Developmental stages
Genomes
Medicine and Health Sciences
Mutualism
Pathogenesis
Pathogens
Perception
Public opinion
Reputations
Research and Analysis Methods
Symbiosis
Viral infections
Viruses
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Summary:The public perception of viruses has historically been negative. We are now at a stage where the development of tools to study viruses is at an all-time high, but society's perception of viruses is at an all-time low. The literature regarding viral interactions has been skewed towards negative (i.e., pathogenic) symbioses, whereas viral mutualisms remain relatively underexplored. Viral interactions with their hosts are complex and some non-pathogenic viruses could have potential benefits to society. However, viral research is seldom designed to identify viral mutualists, a gap that merits considering new experimental designs. Determining whether antagonisms, mutualisms, and commensalisms are equally common ecological strategies requires more balanced research efforts that characterize the full spectrum of viral interactions.
ISSN:1545-7885
1544-9173
1545-7885
DOI:10.1371/journal.pbio.3002109