TABLE 5.

Future rumen virus research: outstanding questions for further investigation.

Outstanding questions
Do viruses infect all of the microbial populations found in the rumen?
How do virus populations impact on biofilm formation, colonization of plant material and rumen fermentation?
To what extent do virus populations impact on microbial lysis and nutrient recycling within the rumen?
What are the biological properties of rumen viruses (e.g., virus:host interactions, host range, replication strategies, virus particle survival and persistence in the environment)?
Do viruses impact on microbial gene transfer in the rumen and what types of genes may they transfer?
Do rumen virus communities change from early life to mature animals and can they change throughout the lifetime of an animal?
Do viruses from the rumen interact with the rumen wall and GI tract and cause immunological effects in the animal?
Can phage therapy (lytic viruses or viral enzymes) be used to remove problematic organisms (e.g., methanogens) from the rumen?