Alon Philosof
Research Interests
I am interested in the ecological role of viruses (mainly phages) in the marine environment. Globally, viruses constitute large and abundant biomass, and are the second-largest biomass in the oceans, exceeded only by the total biomass of bacteria. I am especially interested in understanding the temporal and spatial dynamics of host-virus interactions in the environment and the role of viruses as drivers of microbial growth, metabolism, and microbial mortality. My research aims to supplement meta-omic methods with direct in situ measurements of viral production, viral activity, and transfer of nutrients.