Scientists identify over 140,000 virus species in the human gut, half of which new to science
Viruses are the most numerous biological entities on the planet. Now researchers have identified over 140,000 viral species living in the human gut, more than half of which have never been seen before. The paper published in Cell, contains an analysis of over 28,000 gut microbiome samples collected in different parts of the world. The number and diversity of the viruses the researchers found was surprisingly high, and the data opens up new research avenues for understanding how viruses living in the gut affect human health.