The biology of jumbo phages

Jumbo bacteriophages are bacterial viruses with double-stranded DNA genomes exceeding 200 kb. These viral giants feature exceptionally large virions, expansive genetic repertoires, and in some cases, remarkable eukaryotic-like traits. Jumbo phages challenge long-standing notions of phage simplicity, redefining the boundaries of what a phage can be. In this Review, we examine the biology of jumbo bacteriophages, highlighting their diversity, evolutionary origins, distinctive morphologies and lifecycles, complex interactions with bacterial hosts, and their potential for biotechnology and therapy, with a focus on, but not limited to, the Chimalliviridae phages. Jumbo phages are bacterial viruses with double-stranded DNA genomes exceeding 200 kb. In this Review, Sam van Beljouw & Li Yuping examine the biology of these bacteriophages, highlighting their diversity, evolutionary origins, distinctive morphologies and lifecycles, interactions with bacterial hosts, and their potential for biotechnology and therapy.