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

Parker, Michael T.

The term "microbiome" was coined by Whipps, Lewis, and Cooke in 1988, defined as "a characteristic microbial community occupying a reasonably well defined habitat which has distinct physico-chemical properties" [1] . Many attribute the popularization of the term to Nobel laureate Joshua Lederberg, where he (anthropocentrically) defined the microbiome as "the ecological community of commensal, symbiotic, and pathogenic microorganisms that literally share our body space and have been all but ignored as determinants of health and disease" [2] . The community of microorganisms referenced in these definitions includes viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and archaea. Within this community there is an inherent plasticity arising from the interaction of organisms with one another and with their environment. Such meta-interactions lead to complex repercussions for each level of life, and this review will focus on the consequences that have implications for human health.