The Human Virome Protein Cluster Database (HVPC): A Human Viral Metagenomic Database for Diversity and Function Annotation.

Human virome, including those of bacteria (bacteriophages) have received an increasing attention recently, owing to the rapid developments in human microbiome research and the awareness of the far-reaching influence of microbiomes on health and disease. Nevertheless, human viromes are still underrepresented in literature making viruses a virtually untapped resource of diversity, functional and physiological information. Here we present the human virome protein cluster database as an effort to improve functional annotation and characterization of human viromes.

Antagonistic Microbial Interactions: Contributions and Potential Applications for Controlling Pathogens in the Aquatic Systems.

Despite the active and intense treatment of wastewater, pathogenic microorganisms and viruses are frequently introduced into the aquatic environment. For most human pathogens, however, this is a rather hostile place, where starvation, continuous inactivation, and decay generally occur, rather than successful reproduction. Nevertheless, a great diversity of the pathogenic microorganisms can be detected, in particular, in the surface waters receiving wastewater.

Grazing of heterotrophic flagellates on viruses is driven by feeding behaviour.

The trophic interactions between viruses, bacteria and protists play a crucial role in structuring microbial communities and regulating nutrient and organic matter flux. Here, we show that the impact on viral density by heterotrophic flagellates is related to their feeding behaviour (feeding on sedimented particles - Thaumatomonas coloniensis, filter feeding of suspended particles - Salpingoeca sp., and actively searching raptorial feeding - Goniomonas truncata).