Viromics

Question 1

What is the Virome?

Answer 1

The total viral genome content of the DNA and/or RNA found in certain biological sampling area such as entire oceans or just in humans

Question 2

What is ‘Viral Shunt’?

Answer 2

• Lytic viruses kill ±80% of the single-celled organisms in the sediment and sub-surface ocean layers -> releasing a large amount of dissolved carbon into the deep seas
  o Called ‘viral shunt’
  o Releases up to 630 million tonnes of C sequestered by particles sinking into these deep-sea benthic zones every year

Question 3

What are methods to look for marine viruses?

Answer 3

• Count virus particles by:
  o Transmission electron microscopy
  o Epifluorescence microscopy
  o Flow cytometry
• Metagenomic analysis:
  o Total DNA / cDNA sequencing from seawater
  o Metagenomics of fractioned water

Question 4

What are 3 methods for separating virus genome sequences from other microbes in a sample for Metagenomic sequencing?

Answer 4

1. Use PCR with degenerate primers targeting specific viral families to amplify virus-specific DNA and discover a large number and diversity of viruses
2. Total metagenome sequencing