Virome:
The human body hosts vast microbial communities, termed the microbiome. Less well known is the fact that the human body also hosts vast numbers of different viruses, collectively termed the ‘virome’. Viruses are believed to be the most abundant and diverse biological entities on our planet, with an estimated 1031 particles on Earth. The human virome is similarly vast and complex, consisting of approximately 1013 particles per human individual, with great heterogeneity. [“The human virome: assembly, composition and host interactions,” Guanxiang Liang & Frederic D. Bushman, nature reviews/microbiology]
Noted in “The vital viruses that shape your microbiome and your health,” Linda Geddes, NewScientist (13 July 2024, paywall):
“What is interesting about bacteriophages and other viruses in the gut is that every person has their own unique set, with almost no overlap between different people,” says Evelien Adriaenssens at the Quadram Institute in Norwich, UK. One of her interests is understanding where these viruses come from, which she is investigating by analysing stool samples from women and their newborn infants and following them over time. “What we see is that healthy infants are born without a noticeable virome, then, in the first couple of weeks of life, they acquire one, together with the bacteria and all of the other components of the microbiome,” says Adriaenssens.
Fascinating stuff.
