biostudies-literatureUnknown9(7)Graham EBHistorically neglected by microbial ecologists, soil viruses are now thought to be critical to global biogeochemical cycles. However, our understanding of their global distribution, activities and interactions with the soil microbiome remains limited. Here we present the Global Soil Virus Atlas, a comprehensive dataset compiled from 2,953 previously sequenced soil metagenomes and composed of 616,935 uncultivated viral genomes and 38,508 unique viral operational taxonomic units. Rarefaction curves from the Global Soil Virus Atlas indicate that most soil viral diversity remains unexplored, further underscored by high spatial turnover and low rates of shared viral operational taxonomic units across samples. By examining genes associated with biogeochemical functions, we also demonstrate the viral potential to impact soil carbon and nutrient cycling. This study represents an extensive characterization of soil viral diversity and provides a foundation for developing testable hypotheses regarding the role of the virosphere in the soil microbiome and global biogeochemistry.Nature microbiology1873-1883https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11222151biostudies-literatureA global atlas of soil viruses reveals unexplored biodiversity and potential biogeochemical impacts.PMC11222151Stursova MGodoy-Vitorino FNeches RYDynarski KAJansson JKFreedman ZBWoyke TVan Goethem MWDeAngelis KMNusslein KWu RCowan DAHazard CScully EDTakacs-Vesbach CCregger MAGraham EBPietrasiak NMyrold DDOnstott TCMcDermott JEBissett AChauhan ASchmer MRSoil Virosphere ConsortiumHart SCYeoh YKLee SMadamwar DTringe SGDove NCJain KRCarrell AARodrigues JLMKlingeman DMJuenger TELiu XJABaldrian POliveira RSPaez-Espino DNolan MKyrpides NCKonstantinidis KTMakhalanyane TPNicol GWCamargo APPalmer NAHofmockel KSBlanchard JLBohannan BJMTas NConstant PCadillo-Quiroz HfalseA global atlas of soil viruses reveals unexplored biodiversity and potential biogeochemical impacts.Historically neglected by microbial ecologists, soil viruses are now thought to be critical to global biogeochemical cycles. However, our understanding of their global distribution, activities and interactions with the soil microbiome remains limited. Here we present the Global Soil Virus Atlas, a comprehensive dataset compiled from 2,953 previously sequenced soil metagenomes and composed of 616,935 uncultivated viral genomes and 38,508 unique viral operational taxonomic units. Rarefaction curves from the Global Soil Virus Atlas indicate that most soil viral diversity remains unexplored, further underscored by high spatial turnover and low rates of shared viral operational taxonomic units across samples. By examining genes associated with biogeochemical functions, we also demonstrate the viral potential to impact soil carbon and nutrient cycling. This study represents an extensive characterization of soil viral diversity and provides a foundation for developing testable hypotheses regarding the role of the virosphere in the soil microbiome and global biogeochemistry.2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 Jul2026-05-07T14:11:14.651Z2025-04-06T00:10:58.874ZS-EPMC112221513890237410.1038/s41564-024-01686-x