The last few years have witnessed enormous progress in virology research, with major breakthroughs taking place across a wide range of virology-related disciplines. At the same time, the global impact of viral infections on human health has never been more clear. The conference Viruses 2016 – At the Forefront of Virus-Host Interactions will bring together leading virologists from around the world to share recent developments in their research. The sessions are organized in a theme-based manner, with related topics discussed from the perspective of diverse viruses, ranging from bacteriophage, plant, and insect viruses to animal viruses. Session topics include antiviral innate immunity, non-coding RNAs, interactions between viruses and membranes, and virus replication organelles.