Dr Jamie Bojko, undergraduate student Adam Ozkan and Dr Ambroise Baker were successful in securing a research grant from the British Bryological Society to carry out preliminary research into the viruses of bryophytes (small plants also known as mosses and liverworts) in the UK.

This research aims to conduct preliminary screening of three bryophyte species, and their microbiomes, to search for the presence of DNA viruses as well as endogenous viral insertions, reflecting their evolutionary history with viruses. This pioneering work will open new horizons to comprehend yet unsubscribed bryophyte-virus relationships, which underpin the ecosystem services provided by bryophytes.