Giant polar viruses steer life at Earth's icy edges
Giant viruses that infect microalgae and protists dominate polar ecosystems, acting as ecosystem engineers through the viral shunt and metabolic reprogramming; their activity is modulated by virophages, which can dampen viral virulence and stabilize food webs, and polar regions like the Last Ice Area serve as climate sentinels whose thaw could reshape these unique microbial communities.
