Expanding the virosphere : advanced genomic classification The virosphere comprises all known and unknown viruses in our ecosystems. Advanced sequencing technologies in combination with metagenomic analysis have become a key tool for exploring this global diversity of viruses. However discovery of novel viruses and comparative analyses are often based on small sequence fragments or lack biological context which restricts a proper classification. In this study advanced genomic methods were used that included comprehensive knowledge of viral genomes along with supporting biological metadata in order to identify and classify viruses at different levels of genetic relationships. In a first example the genetic background of vaccine induced rabies cases was revealed by analyzing and comparing the genetic diversity of viral populations. Furthermore the fundament for a taxonomic reclassification of orthopoxviruses was established on basis of a wide scale genomic analysis. In addition novel neurotropic mamastroviruses from sheep and cattle were classified as members of a single species that provided evidence of interspecies transmission. Finally two putative novel species of alphaherpesviruses and orthopoxviruses were identified. These examples are based on field cases that provide substantial corresponding clinical metadata and information of host pathogen interactions. The analyses therefore puts taxonomic classification into biological and epidemiological context rather than addressing generic phylogenetic relationships ... Viren Virologie Sequenzanalyse <Chemie> Phylogenetik Tollwut Kuhpocken Herpesviren Genomik Virus discovery Genomic classification