sᵻɹˈæmaɪd ɪz ɐ kəntɹˈoʊlɪŋ fˈæktɚɹ ɪn sˈɛl dˈɛθ, ænd ɪɾ ɪz kˈɜːɹəntli θˈɔːt ðæt kˈɑːkəlˌɪθəvˌaɪɹəs jˈuːsᵻz ðɪs tə pɹəlˈɔŋ ðə lˈaɪf ʌv ˌɛmɪlˈiəniə hˈʌkslaɪi wˌaɪl ɪt jˈuːzᵻz ðə hˈoʊst sˈɛl tə ɹˈɛplᵻkˌeɪt.
Ceramide is a controlling factor in cell death, and it is currently thought that Coccolithovirus uses this to prolong the life of Emiliania huxleyi while it uses the host cell to replicate.