The biology of jumbo phages (Nature Communications Review)

A Nature Communications Review by Sam P. B. van Beljouw and Li Yuping (Biozentrum, University of Basel) on jumbo bacteriophages, whose double-stranded DNA genomes exceed 200 kb. It covers their diversity, evolutionary origins, distinctive morphologies and lifecycles, interactions with bacterial hosts and potential for biotechnology and therapy, with a focus on, but not limited to, the Chimalliviridae phages.