An Ecological Framework of the Human Virome Provides Classification of Current Knowledge and Identifies Areas of Forthcoming Discovery

Parker, Michael T.

Throughout this manuscript, I have assembled the components of the human virome into broad classifications of Parasitic, Commensal, and Mutualistic. While these definitions are logical, the intermixing of the groups and exceptions to rules drives home the point that the virome has inherent plasticity. Disruption of the yin and yang of virus-host interactions can contribute to this transitory nature and may blur the lines that delineate the three main groups. This acknowledgement of convention and the departures from it gives both structure and flexibility to this conception of the human virome. The culmination of these ideas provides a template that identifies gaps in our current knowledge, postulates interactions that are currently unknown, and describes future areas of research, the results of which can then be classified in this same manner. I look on with anticipation to the continuation of the scientific soul search that is the exploration of the virome, where as we learn more about viruses, we come to better know ourselves.