A single-cell perspective on host–virus dynamics in the ocean

Viral infections of marine microbes greatly impact ecological and biogeochemical processes. Typically, these host–virus interactions are studied at the population level using bulk transcriptomics, which presents a population-averaged perspective and masks diverse infection states. Recent advancements in single-cell technologies enable a simultaneous view of the virus and its host within a population and expose phenotypic heterogeneity during infection. We present a promising avenue for investigating marine viral ecology from a new single-cell perspective to reveal the viral life cycle and host antiviral strategies employed by rare resistant cells. Consequently, we can detect specific host–virus dynamics in the complex natural population, track the spread of infection across ecosystems, and study the ecological impact of marine viruses at an unprecedented resolution.