Frank O. Aylward

Multi-level mosaicism shapes the evolution of small eukaryotic DNA viruses

The paper analyzes the evolution of small eukaryotic DNA viruses, finding that mosaicism, including module reassociation and domain swapping, shapes their genomic evolution.

Single-cell-resolved natural giant virus infections reveal conserved protist immunity

The paper identifies active giant-virus infections in protists and shows conserved antiviral defenses and potential viral counter-defense mechanisms.

A chimeric infection program and epigenetic conflict underpin endogenous giant virus latency

The paper investigates how a giant virus maintains latency in a green alga by analyzing its genomic architecture and epigenetic regulation.

Mimicin, an antimicrobial protein encoded by mimivirus

The paper identifies Mimicin, an antimicrobial protein from mimiviruses, showing broad in vitro activity against bacteria, yeast, and phages but not other viruses or human cells.

Convergent evolution of viral-like Borg archaeal extrachromosomal elements and giant eukaryotic viruses

The paper analyzes Borg archaeal extrachromosomal elements using in silico methods, revealing features similar to giant eukaryotic viruses, suggesting convergent evolution.

Giant endogenous viral elements in the genome of the model protist Euglena gracilis reveal past interactions with giant viruses

The paper identifies 8 Giant Endogenous Viral Elements in Euglena gracilis, suggesting they originated from a common viral lineage and expanded the known host range of Asfuvirales.

Latent infection of an active giant endogenous virus in a unicellular green alga

The paper identifies an active giant endogenous virus in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, showing viral production and latent infection dynamics in natural isolates.

Towards a unifying phylogenomic framework for tailed phages

This paper presents a phylogenomic framework for tailed phages using gene presence/absence data to reconstruct evolutionary relationships and quantify gene exchange events.

The Microbiota of Moon Snail Egg Collars is Shaped by Host-Specific Factors

This study characterizes the bacterial microbiota of Moon Snail egg collars and identifies potential natural products from the microbiota.

Chimeric Origin of Eukaryotes from Asgard Archaea and Ancestral Giant Viruses

This study shows eukaryotic DNA and RNA polymerases originated from Asgard archaea and giant viruses, supporting a chimeric origin of eukaryotes.

Automated classification of giant virus genomes using a random forest model built on trademark protein families

This paper develops a random forest model to classify giant virus genomes using protein family profiles, achieving high accuracy across multiple taxonomic levels.

Polinton-like Viruses Associated with Entomopoxviruses Provide Insight into Replicon Evolution

The paper identifies novel Polinton-like viruses associated with entomopoxviruses, revealing their role as hyperparasites and proposing a mechanism for their genomic evolution.

ViralRecall: A Flexible Command-Line Tool for the Detection of Giant Virus Signatures in Omic Data

ViralRecall detects NCLDV signatures in omic data using a library of Giant Virus Orthologous Groups, effectively identifying sequences and removing contaminants.

FastViromeExplorer: A Pipeline for Virus and Phage Identification and Abundance Profiling in Metagenomics Data

FastViromeExplorer is a pipeline for quickly identifying and quantifying viruses and phages in metagenomics data with real and simulated data validation.