Viral commitment to infection depends on host metabolism.

Viral attachment to Escherichia coli significantly decreases under energy-limited conditions, with weaker-binding phages being most affected, impacting infection success.

• Why it matters: Understanding how host metabolic states influence viral infection is crucial, as it reveals a key factor that can determine infection outcomes beyond structural compatibility, filling a critical knowledge gap.
• What they did: Researchers measured adsorption rates of five E. coli phages across different metabolic conditions, revealing that energy limitation reduces phage binding, especially for weaker binders, supporting a two-step infection model.
• The result: The study demonstrates that host energy status modulates virus-host interactions, suggesting that metabolic conditions can control viral commitment and potentially influence infection dynamics.