Probing the Role of Defective Interfering Particles in Viral Infection

Defective Interfering Particles (DIPs) are damaged viral genomes that are unable to replicate without co-infection with an undamaged (WT) genome. During co-infection, DIPs compete with the WT virus for cellular resources, and can become more abundant than the virus itself. These particles are generated by almost all RNA viruses, which raises the question: what role do DIPs have in host-viral dynamics? Previous experimental work has shown that, in vitro, DIP-WT competition results in stable oscillations in abundance of both particles. I will present our biophysical models and experimental efforts to understand this behavior and its implications for the broader role of DIPs in viral infection.