From Ed Rybicki, Molecular and Cell Biology Department, University of Cape Town
I was a little nettled when I read the original article on biodiversity (24 April, p 32), because there was no mention at all of the greatest part of the biodiversity on this planet: viruses. There are more viruses on Earth than any other kind of organism, and virus genomes provide the greatest source of gene diversity – yet they don’t rate a mention. Then, on a subsequent Letters page, people take up cudgels on behalf of fungi, of all things (22 May, p 28). Cellism, that’s what it is…
Cape Town, South Africa
