About this Research Topic
Sequencing technological advances have greatly improved our ability to detect and discover viruses and have provided an unprecedented wealth of data, which is revolutionizing our understanding of the global virome diversity. Yet, biological characterization of new and known viruses is a major bottleneck in virology which limits basic research studies as well as assessment of disease causality, and economic and ecological impacts of virus infections. Synthetic biology and genomics have enabled the development of frameworks key for understanding and manipulation of bacterial and human viruses, and have the potential to greatly accelerate biological characterization and engineering of viruses from other less explored systems.
This Research Topic aims to cover technological and conceptual advances in the biological characterization of viruses as well as their applications in virus functional genomics, for enhancing our understanding of virus-host and virus-virus interactions, for proving disease causality, and for assisting risk assessment. Contributions from researchers with a wide range of research backgrounds are invited as to provide complementary perspectives broadly useful to virologists. To expand knowledge generated by previous work with bacterial and human viruses, studies focused on plant, fungal and invertebrate viruses are particularly welcome.
The Research Topic welcomes Original Research, Brief Research Report, Methods, Perspective, Opinion, Hypothesis and Theory, Mini Review and Review on the following themes, but not limited to:
- Generation of reverse genetics systems of known and new viruses;
- Synthetic biology methods and synthetic genomics frameworks for biological characterization and engineering of viruses;
- Development of experimental systems for host propagation, infectivity assessment, and transmission studies;
- Reconstruction and infectivity assessment of viruses identified by metagenomics surveys;
- Functional genomics approaches for understanding the roles of viral genes and regulatory elements in infection;
- Omics approaches for characterization of virus-host interactions;
- Characterization of virus-virus interactions during mixed infections.
Descriptive, taxonomic, or evolutionary studies that do not significantly advance our biological understanding of viral systems will not be considered for peer-review.
This Research Topic aims to cover technological and conceptual advances in the biological characterization of viruses as well as their applications in virus functional genomics, for enhancing our understanding of virus-host and virus-virus interactions, for proving disease causality, and for assisting risk assessment. Contributions from researchers with a wide range of research backgrounds are invited as to provide complementary perspectives broadly useful to virologists. To expand knowledge generated by previous work with bacterial and human viruses, studies focused on plant, fungal and invertebrate viruses are particularly welcome.
The Research Topic welcomes Original Research, Brief Research Report, Methods, Perspective, Opinion, Hypothesis and Theory, Mini Review and Review on the following themes, but not limited to:
- Generation of reverse genetics systems of known and new viruses;
- Synthetic biology methods and synthetic genomics frameworks for biological characterization and engineering of viruses;
- Development of experimental systems for host propagation, infectivity assessment, and transmission studies;
- Reconstruction and infectivity assessment of viruses identified by metagenomics surveys;
- Functional genomics approaches for understanding the roles of viral genes and regulatory elements in infection;
- Omics approaches for characterization of virus-host interactions;
- Characterization of virus-virus interactions during mixed infections.
Descriptive, taxonomic, or evolutionary studies that do not significantly advance our biological understanding of viral systems will not be considered for peer-review.
Keywords: Virome, Plant virus, Mycovirus, Fungal and oomycete viruses, Insect virus, Biological characterization, Technological advance, High-throughput sequencing, Virus discovery, Omics approaches, Synthetic genomics, Reverse genetics, Virus infectious clone
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
