A key factor in the evolution of viruses is their ability to generate genetic diversity, enabling them to adapt to new environments and hosts. The result is greater diversification of the virus population and the emergence of new diseases caused by the appearance of novel viral lineages.
Despite its importance, our understanding of how viruses evolve into new species is still limited. The PLANTVIRSPE (Analysis of speciation modes in plant RNA viruses) project addressed this knowledge gap by investigating virus speciation based on the interactions between plants and viruses.
Further details: Genetic diversity and the evolution of viruses