Connect and Infect - An interactive network to advance research and education in viral ecology and evolution

Since the last report, we have carried out the following activities in ConFect: - We have completed for the third time the two teaching courses "General Virology" (H24) and "Quantifying viral ecology and evolution" (V25) - We have completed two summer schools for kids in July/August 2024, with the focus on viruses in the ocean - Together with Warholm film, we are nearly finished with the videoes. Some editing still needs to be done. Two of the four videos will be finished this fall, the rest V25

CONFECT is an initiative to enhance research in viral ecology and evolution at UiB embodied by two ongoing research projects, and to provide state-of-the art platforms for education and dissemination in this topical field. Project members across five different countries (USA, Canada, Japan, Taiwan (ROC) and Norway) will actively contribute to workshops, a symposium and research stays abroad, which will strengthen ongoing research, and newly developed online courses as well as hands-on summer schools will create an efficient and interactive learning environment for students. The leader group has long-standing experience in traditional viral ecology and theoretical microbial ecology and has been co-founding the field in marine environments. By enhancing collaboration with five international partners, CONFECT complements this expertise with skills in modern sequencing techniques, bioinformatics and numerical simulations. The resulting team is extremely capable, with members being all interested in the same questions about regulation and drivers in microbial virus-host interactions. Knowledge promoted through CONFECT will give a basis for better understanding infectious disease as well as environmental questions of how biodiversity and consequently cycling of energy and matter may change in a changing environment. Notably, all members in CONFECT are also experienced teachers. Together with pedagogical resources made available through a center of excellence in education at UiB (BioCeed), this will ensure optimal obtension of scientific knowledge and methods for students taking part in CONFECT. Finally, dissemination and outreach of this field is our final objective, which we seek through open-access peer-reviewed scientific journals, popular science articles and interactive games with the public.