The Infant Gut Virome: Knowns, Unknowns, and Avenues for Future Studies

The role of the gut microbiome in both infant and adult health is widely recognized. Until recently, most studies have focused on bacterial communities, often neglecting other components of the gut ecosystem. However, the virome—a highly abundant and diverse community of viruses (predominantly bacteriophages)—plays a crucial role in shaping the gut environment. In this review, we describe the composition of the gut virome, summarize laboratory and bioinformatic challenges associated with virome analysis, and provide an overview of studies examining the gut virome in early life. This work has highlighted dynamic changes during infancy and associations between viruses and infant diseases. While research on the gut virome is still in its early stages, the ability of viruses to influence the ecosystem means the gut virome holds significant potential for improving future microbiome-based treatments.