Since the discovery of computers, bioinformatics and computational biology have been instrumental in a wide range of discoveries in virology. These include early mathematical models of virus-host interaction, and more recently the analysis of viral nucleotide and protein sequences to track their function, epidemiology, and evolution. The genomics revolution has provided an unprecedented amount of… [Read More]

Metagenomics, i.e., the sequencing and analysis of genomic information extracted directly from clinical or environmental samples, has become a fundamental tool to explore the viral world. Against the background of an extensive viral diversity revealed by metagenomics across many environments, new sequence assembly approaches that reconstruct complete genome sequences from metagenomes have recently revealed surprisingly… [Read More]

MOTIVATION: Nutrient and contaminant behavior in the subsurface are governed by multiple coupled hydrobiogeochemical processes which occur across different temporal and spatial scales. Accurate description of macroscopic system behavior requires accounting for the effects of microscopic and especially microbial processes. Microbial processes mediate precipitation and dissolution and change aqueous geochemistry, all of which impacts macroscopic… [Read More]

Plants benefit from their close association with soil microbes which assist in their response to abiotic and biotic stressors. Yet much of what we know about plant stress responses is based on studies where the microbial partners were uncontrolled and unknown. Under climate change, the soil microbial community will also be sensitive to and respond… [Read More]