Demystifying Viruses: Understanding the Role of River Viruses on Microbial Community Structure and Biogeochemical Cycling Through a Multi-Omic Lens

摘要: Viruses are the most abundant entity on the planet, with estimates of up to 10 31 viral particles dispersed across the globe in every ecosystem that can sustain life. Today, as the world responds to the COVID-19 pandemic, the word “virus” often evokes a negative response because of their impacts on human health and disease. Yet, most viruses that exist in the world can only infect bacteria and archaea. In fact, it has long been estimated that for every 1 bacterial or archaeal cell, there are 10 viruses that can infect it. While bacteria and archaea are long regarded as essential to overall ecosystem health and functionality, the roles of viruses in natural systems are much less understood and appreciated. Due to a scarcity of genome-resolved multi-omic studies, this lack of understanding is compounded in river ecosystems, which play critical roles modulating global carbon and nitrogen biogeochemistry. The overarching …