You’ve probably heard of the microbiome — the swarms of bacteria and other small life forms that reside in our guts. It appears that the bacteria are infected with viruses, which has significant ramifications for both them and us.
Introducing the phageome.
The human digestive system is home to billions, if not trillions, of these viruses, sometimes referred to as bacteriophages (Greek for “bacteria eaters”) or just “phages” by their pals. According to Breck Duerkop, a bacteriologist at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine, the field of phageome science has exploded recently, and scientists are finding it difficult to comprehend their immense diversity.
Researchers believe that doctors may be able to enhance human health if they could identify and target the appropriate bacteria.
Paul Bollyky, a Stanford Medicine researcher and physician specializing in infectious diseases, predicts that there will be both beneficial and harmful bacteria. However, the exact number of phages in the gut is still unknown; it could be as little as one or as many as one for every bacterial cell. Phage genes can also be found in bacteria that don’t actively produce viruses; instead, the bacteria passively carry the phage DNA around in their genomes and go about their daily lives.
