VITAS, a sensitive <i>in vivo</i> selection assay to discover enzymes producing antiviral natural products.

To discover new broad-spectrum antiviral nucleotide analogues from natural resources or through protein engineering, we have developed a sensitive in vivo selection assay named Viral polymerase-Inhibition Toxin-Associated Selection (VITAS). We show that the assay works with enzymes from three Kingdoms of life.