Bacteriophages Unlock Vitamin B12 to Fuel Microbial Communities
Researchers at Virginia Tech discovered that bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, play a crucial role in releasing vitamin B12 into the environment. By lysing bacterial cells that produce the nutrient, phages allow it to escape and support neighboring microbes that cannot synthesize it themselves. This process, detailed in a study published in The ISME Journal, reshapes microbial community diversity and highlights viruses as nutrient recyclers in ecosystems ranging from the human gut to the ocean.