Virome

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG3.

Viruses represent the most abundant and genetically diverse biological entities in ecosystems, profoundly impacting the health of humans, animals, plants and microorganisms. This special collection – Virome – aims to showcase cutting-edge research and reviews that deepen our understanding of viral biology, diversity, ecology, genetics and transmission, particularly at the critical interface of humans, animals and the environment.

Despite growing knowledge, the known virosphere is merely the tip of the iceberg. Advances in high-throughput sequencing, metagenomics, and machine learning have transformed our ability to study the virome—the population of viruses in a host or environment. Viruses evolve rapidly across time and space, yet many key questions remain regarding their origins, mechanisms of emergence, adaptation, and spread. These questions are especially urgent for zoonotic viruses, which often emerge at the human-animal interface. In an era of accelerating climate change, habitat loss and social-economic shifts, increasing contact between humans, animals, and vectors elevates the risks of viral spillover events.

This collection invites original research and reviews that that advance our understanding of virus emergence and transmission across disciplines. We welcome papers that offer novel insights into virus-host interactions, evolutionary dynamics, and the role of environmental and anthropogenic factors in disease emergence. Research addressing how urbanization, land-use change, biodiversity loss, climate change and social-behavioural factors alter host and vector populations and in turn influence disease risk are encouraged.

A deeper understanding of the virome is essential for understanding viral existence, evolution and circulation. We are interested in studies that apply artificial intelligence and machine learning to virome data to improve early detection, identify emerging threats, and guide public health response. From genomic surveillance and predictive modelling to viral discovery and functional genomics, this collection seeks to drive innovation in virome science.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Innovative approaches in viral diagnostics, metagenomics, bioinformatics and therapeutics or protective strategies
• Evolutionary, epidemiological and transmission studies of viruses in humans, animals, or vectors
• Genetic, environmental, climatic and ecological drivers influencing viral replication, transmission and zoonotic spillover
• Interhost and intrahost virus evolution, including mechanisms underlying the emergence of viral variants
• Socio-behavioural and demographic factors affecting virus dynamics and disease dissemination
• Host immune responses – including B-cell and T-cell mediated mechanisms – and their roles in viral entry and pathogenesis
• Application of machine learning and artificial intelligence to predict viral evolution, identify coding regions, infer protein structure, model virus-host interactions, and forecast outbreaks
• Reviews synthesizing current challenges, technological advances and future directions in virome research