Research

Social evolution in viruses

I study the evolution of social conflict among viruses. Viral lifecycles are social processes: viral replication requires shared gene products, that can be used by multiple viral genomes within the same cell. This gives rise to ‘cheats’, a type of molecular parasite formed by large deletions, that spread by exploiting gene products encoded by full-length viruses. Cheats arise frequently in laboratory infections, driving drastic reductions in viral population sizes that can even lead to extinction.

Understanding cheat evolution would open a new window into viral population dynamics, while controlling this process would provide new ways to predict infection outcomes and treat viral infections. I combine theoretical, computational, and empirical methods towards understanding social conflict in viruses at all levels, from the chalkboard to the clinic.

Theoretical work

My theoretical work is based in social evolution theory. Social evolution theory is useful because it provides a broad body of ideas that apply across life on Earth, from birds to bacteria, and now to viruses too. Viruses offer an exceptional opportunity to test and expand this body of theory, with viral biology providing a stream of evolutionary puzzles to explore. For more details about my theoretical research to date, please see my Publications page.

Comparative work

In my comparative work, I am interested in how viral social interactions play out in natural infections. Most existing work on viral social interactions is either theoretical, or has been done under laboratory conditions. I use within-host viral sequencing datasets to understand the role that viral social interactions play in clinical infections, and to test evolutionary hypotheses about viral social evolution.

Experimental work

The diversity and abundance of naturally occurring viral cheats highlights critical gaps in our knowledge of viral population biology. When will cheats drive viral infections extinct? What determines the outcome and dynamics of cheat/cooperator coevolution? What are the consequences of cheating for viral genome organisation and life history strategies? I address these and other questions through experimental evolution of bacteriophage cheats and cooperators.