Virology—The next fifty years

Edward C. Holmes, Florian Krammer, Felicia D. Goodrum

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Virology has made enormous advances in the last 50 years but has never faced such scrutiny as it does today. Herein, we outline some of the major advances made in virology during this period, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and suggest some areas that may be of research importance in the next 50 years. We focus on several linked themes: cataloging the genomic and phenotypic diversity of the virosphere; understanding disease emergence; future directions in viral disease therapies, vaccines, and interventions; host-virus interactions; the role of viruses in chronic diseases; and viruses as tools for cell biology. We highlight the challenges that virology will face moving forward—not just the scientific and technical but also the social and political. Although there are inherent limitations in trying to outline the virology of the future, we hope this article will help inspire the next generation of virologists.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)5128-5145
Number of pages18
JournalCell
Volume187
Issue number19
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 19 2024

Keywords

  • cancer
  • chronic disease
  • co-infection
  • therapies
  • vaccines
  • virology
  • virosphere

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

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