Origin, Adaptation and Evolutionary Pathways of Fungal Viruses

This research explores how viruses that infect fungi have evolved over time and how they are related to each other. These fungal viruses are unique because they can only spread through direct cell contact and typically don’t cause obvious symptoms in their hosts. Understanding these viruses is important for both basic science and practical applications. Impacts on everyday life: • Helps protect commercially important mushroom crops from viral diseases • Provides insights into the evolution of viruses that could inform antiviral strategies • Contributes to understanding how to use viruses for biological control in agriculture • Advances our knowledge of virus-host relationships that could benefit medical research • Improves our understanding of how viruses evolve and adapt over time