Tools from viruses: Bacteriophage successes and beyond

Viruses are ubiquitous and can infect any of the three existing cellular lineages (Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya). Despite the persisting negative public perception of these entities, scientists learnt how to domesticate some of them. The study of molecular mechanisms essential to the completion of viral cycles has greatly contributed to deciphering fundamental processes in biology. Nowadays, viruses have entered the biotechnological era and numerous applications have already been developed. Viral-derived tools are used to manipulate genetic information, detect, diagnose, control and cure infectious diseases, or even design new structural assemblies. With the recent advances in the field of metagenomics, an overwhelming amount of information on novel viruses has become available. As current tools have been historically developed from a limited number of viruses, the potential of discoveries from new archaeal, bacterial and eukaryotic viruses may be limited only by our understanding of the multiple facets of viral cycles.

► Fundamentals of molecular biology were deciphered from only a few bacteriophages.
► Viral specificity, structure and potential for biocontrol are extensively exploited.
► Viruses are incredible templates for (bio) nanotechnology.
► Individual viral proteins are used in detection, pathogen control and biotechnology.
► Viromics hold promises for further knowledge and exploitation of viruses.