On today’s episode, Dr. Price shares his insight and information on a range of fascinating topics, including the following: How microbiota and viruses interact How oral microbes in mice have been shown to produce different phenotypes What purpose is served by each of the two separate lifestyles carried out by viruses in bacteria Whether or not viruses are considered to be alive, and whether or not it matters for Dr. Pride’s research aims How bacteriophages might function as antibiotic alternatives The human virome is the collection of all of the viruses in and on the surface of the body. There are trillions of these viruses, and many of them are bacteriophages, which are viruses that infect and replicate within bacteria. Over the past 15 years or so, there has been a lot of research and effort in trying to understand the function of microbes in the body and how they relate to states of health and disease. At UC San Diego, Associate Director of Microbiology and Associate Professor of Pathology and Medicine, David Pride, is focused specifically on trying to understand how to utilize bacteriophages in a way that will improve human health.