Phage infections can have such dramatic effects on the host metabolism, that the infected cell becomes physiologically different from its not-infected counterparts. On the other hand side, phage and bacterial host populations are characterized by a high genetic microdiversity.

Here, we plan to address the virocell concept from the point of view of phage microdiversity and lytic infection phases, with a focus on marine heterotrophic bacteria and their phages, to enable a better understanding of the viral impact on marine microbial communities. Using a combination of single-cell methods and bulk measurements, we aim to answer the following questions: i) are there differences in the virocell metabolism through the various phases of the lytic infection?, ii) to which extent is the phage microdiversity resulting in differences in the virocell metabolism?, and iii) to which extent is the co-infection with multiple microdiverse phages resulting in differences in the virocell metabolism?