Summary of the presentation :

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Viruses have come a long way, they probably belong in the most ancient forms of life. Owing to their quick life cycles and to the huge size of their populations, their own life experience is larger than that of any other organism by several orders of magnitude.

Viral emergences in the last decades (HIV, SARS, etc) illustrate how they can surprise us and challenge our health systems. Recent discoveries of giant viruses have revealed the unconceivable richness of their biology. Beside the dangerous weapons that they conceal and the potential threats posed by future new agents, they also undoubtedly represent a vast unexplored vault of biological devices.

 

Professional background :

A vet turned virologist, Daniel MARC is a researcher at INRA, Nouzilly (Infectiologie et Santé Publique). His researches have focused on polioviruses, avian colibacillosis, prion diseases and now influenza viruses. He also teaches in the I2VB Master of infectiology and in the Erasmus Mundus IDOH master.

(DVM, PhD, HDR, team member  « Avian Pathology and immunology ») 

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