The Human Virome

In this talk by Frederic Bushman, PhD, William Maul Measey Professor in Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, p resented by the American Society for Microbiology, an overview of the human virome - the viruses present in a human body - is presented.

There are many viruses on Earth, with estimates as high as billions. Human harbor many viruses, with some infection most of the population; Herpes simplex, for example, is estimated to infect as much as 80% of people or more if you count both types of the virus. Viruses can also confer benefits, such as in some vaccines.

Improvements in genetic technology have allowed researchers to learn more about viruses and nature. Researchers would like to delve deeper into the study of viruses and questions that surround them such as why the viruses in the human gut are so variable from person to person. Bushman's lab is working in this area, and he shares some of his results with us.