General Virology

Countless virus species infect all life forms everywhere on our planet, either in a host-specific fashion or by crossing host species barriers. Viruses may affect an infected host at individual and population levels in a variety of manners, from devastating pandemics to silent transmission. Viruses have evolved diverse genetic organizations and contrasting replication cycles involving elaborate host- and virus-specific molecular mechanisms and releasing virus particles whose structure and function may vary sharply. This section welcomes submissions of rigorous experimental and theoretical research that advance our understanding of virus fundamentals, expand our appreciation of the virosphere and its evolution, or contribute to tools of virology.