Viruses comprise an extensive pool of mobile genetic elements in eukaryote cell cultures and human clinical samples

What is it about?

We established a new method for unspecific, highly sensitive virome (i.e. the collective genome of all viruses in a habitat) analysis in human clinical samples. Thereby we found a great diversity of yet undescribed viruses in cell culture supernatants as well as in clinical samples of healthy individuals. Characterizing the viral sequences, we found that those viruses carry a lot of genes, with helpful functions to bacteria and eucaryotic cells such as antibiotic or environment resistant genes.

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Why is it important?

description of new virome anlysis method (VIPEP) provides further evidence of dark viral matter underlines importance of bacteriophages in interplay with bacterial microbiome