Traditionally, viruses have been viewed as little more than killing machines. In this video, TOMÁS ALARCÓN SCHUMACHER shows how certain viral infections can have a positive effect on their hosts’ evolutionary trajectories. Focusing on chronic infections in archaeal bacteria, Schumacher employs techniques including quantitative PCR, RNA sequencing and proteomics. Among his more striking findings are that the virus can completely reshape the metabolism of the host and that the outcome of an infection is heavily dependent on interaction between the infecting virus and viral like sequences already present in the host. Greater understanding of the mechanisms at work here could help us to look for new solutions for viral diseases through viral-viral interaction based therapies.

LT Video Publication DOI: https://doi.org/10.21036/LTPUB10951