Meeting report: International soil virus conference 2024

The research field of soil viral ecology continues to advance rapidly as the roles of viruses in the functioning of soil ecosystems are increasingly recognized. To address recent developments in the field, the second International Soil Virus Conference was held in Livermore, California, USA, from June 25 to 27th, 2024, providing soil viral ecologists the opportunity to share new findings and suggest guidelines for future research, while encouraging international scientific discussion and collaboration. The meeting was held in person with sessions simultaneously streamed online. Fifty researchers attended from ten different countries and spanned a wide range of subfields and career stages. A total of 21 oral presentations were presented, followed by discussions covering key themes in soil viral research. This report summarizes the main takeaways and recommendations from the talks and discussions.