Viruses as Winners in the Game of Life

DOI Web Site 1 Citations
  • Ana Georgina Cobián Güemes
    Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182;
  • Merry Youle
    Rainbow Rock, Captain Cook, Hawaii 96704
  • Vito Adrian Cantú
    Computational Sciences Research Center, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182
  • Ben Felts
    Department of Mathematics and Statistics, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182
  • James Nulton
    Department of Mathematics and Statistics, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182
  • Forest Rohwer
    Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182;

Abstract

<jats:p> Viruses are the most abundant and the most diverse life form. In this meta-analysis we estimate that there are 4.80×10<jats:sup>31</jats:sup> phages on Earth. Further, 97% of viruses are in soil and sediment—two underinvestigated biomes that combined account for only ∼2.5% of publicly available viral metagenomes. The majority of the most abundant viral sequences from all biomes are novel. Our analysis drawing on all publicly available viral metagenomes observed a mere 257,698 viral genotypes on Earth—an unrealistically low number—which attests to the current paucity of viral metagenomic data. Further advances in viral ecology and diversity call for a shift of attention to previously ignored major biomes and careful application of verified methods for viral metagenomic analysis. </jats:p>

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