Name: Kurt Williamson

Email: kewilliamson@wm.edu

Author: Kurt Williamson

Author affiliation: The College of William and Mary

Abstract title: Soil virus ecology - left behind in the dust?

Absstract:

Viruses are incredibly important members of marine microbial food webs. Viral lysis accounts for about half of the microbial biomass turnover in the global ocean on a daily basis, influencing the carbon cycle and other macronutrient cycles. Through metagenome projects, we know that marine viruses encompass a largely uncharacterized breadth of genetic diversity, and potentially novel gene functions. The recent discovery of fully functional phage-encoded photosynthesis genes (psbA) in cyanophage genomes provides a dramatic example of the importance of phage-mediated horizontal gene transfer, as well as coevolution between virus and host. Indeed, since that initial 1989 observation of high viral abundance in seawater, marine microbial ecology has warmly embraced viruses as an integral component of the field and never looked back. As a result, incredible advances have been made and new ecological paradigms have been established. But what of the humble soil: what impacts do viruses have in terrestrial environments? In this talk, we'll discuss recent advances in soil viral ecology and identify some of the factors leading to its slow progression relative to its aquatic counterpart. Specific topics include: trends in soil viral abundance, factors controlling abundance, the importance of lysogeny as a viral replicative strategy in the soil environment, and molecular methods for profiling soil viral communities.