Going viral: next-generation sequencing applied to phage populations in the human gut. Nat Rev Microbiol 2012 Sep;10(9):607-17
Date
08/07/2012Pubmed ID
22864264Pubmed Central ID
PMC3596094DOI
10.1038/nrmicro2853Scopus ID
2-s2.0-84865169911 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 349 CitationsAbstract
Over the past decade, researchers have begun to characterize viral diversity using metagenomic methods. These studies have shown that viruses, the majority of which infect bacteria, are probably the most genetically diverse components of the biosphere. Here, we briefly review the incipient rise of a phage biology renaissance, which has been catalysed by advances in next-generation sequencing. We explore how work characterizing phage diversity and lifestyles in the human gut is changing our view of ourselves as supra-organisms. Finally, we discuss how a renewed appreciation of phage dynamics may yield new applications for phage therapies designed to manipulate the structure and functions of our gut microbiomes.
Author List
Reyes A, Semenkovich NP, Whiteson K, Rohwer F, Gordon JIAuthor
Nicholas Semenkovich MD Assistant Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
BacteriaBacterial Infections
Bacteriophages
Biodiversity
Biological Products
Biota
Complementary Therapies
Gastrointestinal Tract
High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
Humans
