The biology underlying the interplay between viruses and their hosts represents the product of evolutionary adaptation rooted in the origins of life itself. Virus replication strategies and host defense mechanisms alike have evolved from pre- existing molecular tools through countless gene duplications and modifications that confer a selective advantage. Each successful new strategy drives further adaptation in an endless evolutionary process.

The study of host responses to virus infection has significantly advanced our fundamental understanding of molecular biology. From basic transcriptional control to gene splicing, viruses have provided us an insight into the basic mechanics of all life. Moreover, research into viral defense systems has yielded a range of powerful tools, including restriction enzymes to cut and reconfigure DNA, RNA interference (RNAi) to silence mRNA expression, cytokines with immune-modulating properties, and most recently, CRISPR biology, which enables DNA editing with unprecedented specificity. Despite all the knowledge and technological advances gained from the study of virus-host interactions, there is undoubtedly much more to be discovered— a prospect that drives our work in the tenOever Lab.