‘Giant viruses’ are many times larger than typical viruses and have more complex genomes. Using publicly available metagenome data, researchers assembled genomes for more than 500 giant viruses and found a surprising number of genes for cellular metabolic cycles, including glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and the TCA cycle. Viruses may deploy these genes to rewire their hosts’ metabolism upon infection, expanding their ecological influence and blurring the distinction between viruses and cellular life.
