Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2026
Environmental Sampling of Photosynthetic Microbes and Their Viruses: From Field to Lab
Published on: July 3, 2025
Efficient method to isolate and purify viruses of bacteria from marine environments
1UPMC Univ Paris, LOBB, Observatoire Océanologique, Banyuls/mer, France.
Aim:
To isolate viruses of specific heterotrophic bacterial strains from marine environments using a host addition/virus amplification protocol (HAVAP) for use in phage/host systems.
Methods And Results:
Bacteria-free seawater samples containing natural viruses assemblages were inoculated with a single laboratory grown bacterial host of interest in a nutrient-enriched [peptone, Fe(III) and yeast extract] seawater suspension. These conditions enhanced the replication of only those virus(s) capable of infecting the host bacterium. After incubation, free viruses were recovered at concentrations ranging 10(5)-10(10) infectious virus particles per ml of seawater. Using this approach, 15 viruses were isolated and represented 12 unique phage/host systems. Two of the hosts tested were infected by more than one virus.
Conclusions:
Isolation of high concentrations of specific viruses is possible even if their initial concentrations in native waters are low. This approach allows the recovery of phage/host systems that may not be numerically dominant.
Significance And Impact Of The Study:
This host enrichment protocol for virus detection and isolation is well-suited for aquatic viral ecology studies that require phage/host systems.
