Objetivo 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. Ámbito científico natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologyvirologymedical and health scienceshealth sciencespublic healthepidemiologymedical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologygenetic engineeringmedical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacydrug resistancenatural sciencesbiological sciencesmolecular biologystructural biology Palabras clave Social evolution virus-host interactions systems biology experimental evolution molecular genetics Programa(s) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Tema(s) ERC-2016-COG - ERC Consolidator Grant Convocatoria de propuestas ERC-2016-COG Consulte otros proyectos de esta convocatoria Régimen de financiación ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant Institución de acogida UNIVERSITAT DE VALENCIA Aportación neta de la UEn € 1 969 821,00 Dirección AVENIDA BLASCO IBANEZ 13 46010 Valencia España Ver en el mapa Región Este Comunitat Valenciana Valencia/València Tipo de actividad Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Enlaces Contactar con la organización Opens in new window Sitio web Opens in new window Participación en los programas de I+D de la UE Opens in new window Red de colaboración de HORIZON Opens in new window Coste total € 1 969 821,00 Beneficiarios (1) Ordenar alfabéticamente Ordenar por aportación neta de la UE Ampliar todo Contraer todo UNIVERSITAT DE VALENCIA España Aportación neta de la UEn € 1 969 821,00 Dirección AVENIDA BLASCO IBANEZ 13 46010 Valencia Ver en el mapa Región Este Comunitat Valenciana Valencia/València Tipo de actividad Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Enlaces Contactar con la organización Opens in new window Sitio web Opens in new window Participación en los programas de I+D de la UE Opens in new window Red de colaboración de HORIZON Opens in new window Coste total € 1 969 821,00