Dear Colleagues,

The worldwide impact of viral diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, measles, hepatitis, dengue fever, rabies, yellow fever, and virus-induced cancers, is substantial, affecting both human global health and economies. The recent emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, which led to a pandemic, serves as a stark reminder of the devastating potential of new viral infections. The world faces ongoing threats from emerging zoonotic viral infections accentuated by climate and environmental changes, potentially resulting in increased exposure to vectors of viral infections and intensified animal farming practices due to growing global food demands.

This Special Issue is dedicated to exploring the role of omics approaches in advancing our understanding of viral infections. Omics, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, interactomics, and pharmacogenomics, may revolutionize the extent of our ability to dissect the molecular intricacies of viral–host interactions, thus potentially allowing us to decipher strategies employed by viruses to exploit host cellular machinery and improve the management of viral infections. Accordingly, this Special Issue aims to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms of viral infections, shedding light on viral pathogenesis, host response, and the identification of diagnostic and therapeutic targets that could potentially serve as paradigms for future studies of viral infections.

Key Objectives:

Host–Pathogen Interactions: This Special Issue aims to investigate the interplay between viruses and host cells, elucidating the molecular events that underpin viral infections. A detailed understanding of these events may help us to identify disease markers and design therapeutic interventions.

Biomarker Discovery: A central focus is on the identification of novel biomarkers and molecular signatures of viral infections. This hold promises for the development of diagnostic tools, prognostic indicators, and monitoring viral disease progression.

Antiviral Strategies: By unraveling the molecular basis of viral infections, the Special Issue aims to pave the way for the development of effective antiviral treatments and vaccines. Specifically, it will explore how omics data can inform the design of therapeutic interventions that target vulnerable viral pathways or host molecules and functions such as cellular receptors mediating attachment of viruses.

Translational Impact: Research with translational potential, facilitating the translation of omics insights into clinical applications, is encouraged. Accordingly, contributions that bridge the gap between basic research and strategies for combatting viral infections are highly relevant.

In summary, to advance our knowledge of viral diseases and accelerate the development of strategies to combat these global health challenges, this Special Issue invites the submission of original research articles, reviews, and contributions that highlight the use of omics techniques in viral infections.

Dr. Henrik Berg Rasmussen
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Viruses is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• viral infections
• omics
• molecular mechanisms
• host–pathogen interactions
• biomarker discovery
• translational impact
• therapeutic interventions
• vaccines