Objectif A widely accepted view in virology is that virions function as independent infectious units. However, recent work by us and others indicates that viruses are often transmitted as more complex structures, such as virion aggregates, lipid vesicles or protein matrices harbouring multiple infectious particles. This demonstrates that viruses can be transmitted as “collective infectious units”, in sharp contrast with the current paradigm. Critically, these recent discoveries now set the stage for the evolution of social interactions, a previously unappreciated facet of viruses. I propose to investigate how collective infectious units drive virus social evolution using state-of-the-art tools from the fields of virology, genetics, structural biology, and nanotechnology. The effects of collective infectivity on viral fitness will be tested directly using experimental evolution and genetic engineering, and confirmed in vivo. Three widely different viruses will be used to achieve generality: human enteroviruses, a vector-borne rhabdovirus, and a baculovirus. Furthermore, the implications of virus social interactions for the maintenance of genetic diversity, evolvability, virulence evolution, and the emergence of drug resistance will be investigated. Radically new processes such as the putative extracellular fusion of viral particles will be also explored. I expect that infectious units constituted by viruses from different species will be uncovered as well, with far-reaching implications for epidemiology. It is becoming increasingly recognized that parasite sociality is a disease determinant, and our results may therefore inspire new antiviral strategies. In sum, this project aims at laying the foundations of virus sociality from a mechanistically-informed, bottom-up approach. Importantly, beyond their practical importance viruses will also provide a simple and tractable system that will help us to establish more general principles of social evolution. Champ scientifique natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologyvirologymedical and health scienceshealth sciencespublic healthepidemiologymedical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologygenetic engineeringmedical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacydrug resistancenatural sciencesbiological sciencesmolecular biologystructural biology Mots‑clés Social evolution virus-host interactions systems biology experimental evolution molecular genetics Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Thème(s) ERC-2016-COG - ERC Consolidator Grant Appel à propositions ERC-2016-COG Voir d’autres projets de cet appel Régime de financement ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant Institution d’accueil UNIVERSITAT DE VALENCIA Contribution nette de l'UE € 1 969 821,00 Adresse AVENIDA BLASCO IBANEZ 13 46010 Valencia Espagne Voir sur la carte Région Este Comunitat Valenciana Valencia/València Type d’activité Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Liens Contacter l’organisation Opens in new window Site web Opens in new window Participation aux programmes de R&I de l'UE Opens in new window Réseau de collaboration HORIZON Opens in new window Coût total € 1 969 821,00 Bénéficiaires (1) Trier par ordre alphabétique Trier par contribution nette de l'UE Tout développer Tout réduire UNIVERSITAT DE VALENCIA Espagne Contribution nette de l'UE € 1 969 821,00 Adresse AVENIDA BLASCO IBANEZ 13 46010 Valencia Voir sur la carte Région Este Comunitat Valenciana Valencia/València Type d’activité Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Liens Contacter l’organisation Opens in new window Site web Opens in new window Participation aux programmes de R&I de l'UE Opens in new window Réseau de collaboration HORIZON Opens in new window Coût total € 1 969 821,00