Christina HAZARD

Viruses infect all microorganisms and play significant roles in biogeochemical cycles by lysing active cells and reshaping host metabolism. Yet in soils, one of the most physically heterogeneous and biologically diverse habitats on Earth, the virosphere remains poorly understood. This knowledge gap reflects both the extraordinary complexity of soil ecosystems and the technical challenges of resolving virus–host interactions in situ. In this talk, I will highlight these challenges alongside recent methodological and conceptual advances, showing how a focus on discrete, microbially-mediated biogeochemical processes provides a powerful framework for illuminating soil virus–host dynamics. Finally, I will discuss how this emerging understanding may enable innovative, virus-informed strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change.