When we think about viruses we tend to consider ones that afflict humans—such as those that cause influenza, HIV, and Ebola. Yet, vastly more viruses infect single-celled microbes. Diverse and abundant, microbes and the viruses that infect them are found in oceans, lakes, plants, soil, and animal-associated microbiomes. Taking a vital look at the "microscopic" mode of disease dynamics, Quantitative Viral Ecology establishes a theoretical foundation from which to model and predict the ecological and evolutionary dynamics that result from the interaction between viruses and their microbial hosts. Joshua Weitz addresses three major questions: What are viruses of microbes and what do they do to their hosts? How do interactions of a single virus-host pair affect the number and traits of hosts and virus populations? How do virus-host dynamics emerge in natural environments when interactions take place between many viruses and many hosts? Emphasizing how theory and models can provide answers, Weitz offers a cohesive framework for tackling new challenges in the study of viruses and microbes and how they are connected to ecological processes—from the laboratory to the Earth system. Quantitative Viral Ecology is an innovative exploration of the influence of viruses in our complex natural world.

This book explains the ecology of viruses by examining their interactive dynamics with their hosting species (in this volume, in microbes and plants), including the types of transmission cycles that viruses have evolved encompassing principal and alternate hosts, vehicles, and vectoring species. Examining virology from an organismal biology approach and focusing on the concept that viral infections represent areas of overlap in the ecologies of the involved species, Viral Ecology is essential for students and professionals who either may be non-virologists or virologists whose previous familiarity has been very specialized.

Viral Ecology defines and explains the ecology of viruses by examining their interactions with their hosting species, including the types of transmission cycles that have evolved, encompassing principal and alternate hosts, vehicles, and vectors. It examines virology from an organismal biology approach, focusing on the concept that viral infections represent areas of overlap in the ecology of viruses, their hosts, and their vectors. The relationship between viruses and their hosting species The concept that viral interactions with their hosts represents a highly evolved aspect of organismal biology The types of transmission cycles which exist for viruses, including their hosts, vectors, and vehicles The concept that viral infections represent areas of overlap in the ecology of the viruses, their hosts, and their vectors

This book explains the ecology of viruses by examining their interactive dynamics with their hosting species (this 2-volume set covers animals as well as microbes and plants), including the types of transmission cycles that viruses have evolved encompassing principal and alternate hosts, vehicles and vectoring species. Examining virology from an organismal biology approach and focusing on the concept that viral infections represent areas of overlap in the ecologies of the involved species, Viral Ecology is essential for students and professionals who either may be non-virologists or virologists whose previous familiarity has been very specialized.

This book explains the ecology of viruses by examining their interactive dynamics with their hosting species (in this volume, in animals), including the types of transmission cycles that viruses have evolved encompassing principal and alternate hosts, vehicles and vectoring species. Examining virology from an organismal biology approach and focusing on the concept that viral infections represent areas of overlap in the ecologies of the involved species, Viral Ecology is essential for students and professionals who either may be non-virologists or virologists whose previous familiarity has been very specialized.

A hands-on approach to quantitative reasoning in the life sciences Quantitative Biosciences establishes the quantitative principles of how living systems work across scales, drawing on classic and modern discoveries to present a case study approach that links mechanisms, models, and measurements. Each case study is organized around a central question in the life sciences: Are mutations dependent on selection? How do cells respond to fluctuating signals in the environment? How do organisms move in flocks given local sensing? How does the size of an epidemic depend on its initial speed of spread? Each question provides the basis for introducing landmark advances in the life sciences while teaching students—whether from the life sciences, physics, computational sciences, engineering, or mathematics—how to reason quantitatively about living systems given uncertainty. Draws on real-world case studies in molecular and cellular biosciences, organismal behavior and physiology, and populations and ecological communities Stand-alone lab guides available in Python, R, and MATLAB help students move from learning in the classroom to doing research in practice Homework exercises build on the lab guides, emphasizing computational model development and analysis rather than pencil-and-paper derivations Suitable for capstone undergraduate classes, foundational graduate classes, or as part of interdisciplinary courses for students from quantitative backgrounds Can be used as part of conventional, flipped, or hybrid instruction formats Additional materials available to instructors, including lesson plans and homework solutions

When we think about viruses we tend to consider ones that afflict humans—such as those that cause influenza, HIV, and Ebola. Yet, vastly more viruses infect single-celled microbes. Diverse and abundant, microbes and the viruses that infect them are found in oceans, lakes, plants, soil, and animal-associated microbiomes. Taking a vital look at the "microscopic" mode of disease dynamics, Quantitative Viral Ecology establishes a theoretical foundation from which to model and predict the ecological and evolutionary dynamics that result from the interaction between viruses and their microbial hosts. Joshua Weitz addresses three major questions: What are viruses of microbes and what do they do to their hosts? How do interactions of a single virus-host pair affect the number and traits of hosts and virus populations? How do virus-host dynamics emerge in natural environments when interactions take place between many viruses and many hosts? Emphasizing how theory and models can provide answers, Weitz offers a cohesive framework for tackling new challenges in the study of viruses and microbes and how they are connected to ecological processes—from the laboratory to the Earth system. Quantitative Viral Ecology is an innovative exploration of the influence of viruses in our complex natural world.