Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Phage Phenomics: Physiological Approaches to Characterize Novel Viral Proteins
Published on: June 11, 2015
The viriosphere, diversity, and genetic exchange within phage communities
1Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of British Columbia, 1461 Biological Sciences, 6270 University Blvd, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
Abstract:
Natural phage communities are reservoirs of the greatest uncharacterized genetic diversity on Earth. Yet, identical phage sequences can be found in extremely different environments, which implies that there is wide circulation of viral genes among distantly related host populations. Further evidence of genetic exchange among phage and host communities is the presence in phage of genes coding for proteins that are essential for photosynthesis. These observations support the idea that a primary role of host populations in phage ecology and evolution is to serve as vectors for genetic exchange.
Related Concept Videos
Lysogenic Cycle of Bacteriophages
Viral Recombination
DNA Bacteriophages
Viruses of Archaea
Human Virome
Bacteriophages of the Human Virome

