The U.S. Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory hosted the research on soil virus. Photo: Jvimal Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)

Here’s the mysterious virus-made protein supporting soil life

Chitosanase is a protein produced by a virus that “could be acting like a garden hoe for the soil preparing it for vegetables, trees, flowers, and all other kinds of life.” A U.S. study gives new insights into land ecosystem processes

Re Soil Foundation