Representation of coronavirus.

What can we do in the face of a new emerging virus? Is SARS-Cov2 infection really that serious? Could it have been avoided? What measures are really effective in containing or mitigating the spread of virus infections? These and other questions have been raised during the round table convened by the Institute of Integrative Systems Biology (Universitat de València-CSIC) on Monday, March 2.

Four researchers from the Pathogen Systems Biology Research Program of the Institute of Integrative Systems Biology I2SysBio (joint center Universitat de València-CSIC) have answered the questions raised by the pneumonia epidemic COVID-19. Participating in the debate were Mireia Coscollà (RyC researcher, Bacterial Pathogenomics Group), Santiago F. Elena (CSIC Research Professor, Evolutionary and Systems Virology Group), Ron Geller (RyC Researcher, Viral Biology Group) and Fernando González-Candelas (Professor of Genetics at the University of Valencia, Molecular Epidemiology Group).

The main objective of the Program of Pathogen Systems Biology at I2SysBio is to study the interactions established between microorganisms that cause illnesses (bacteria and viruses) and their hosts. The research includes experimental and theoretical approaches. The identification of interactions between cellular components and pathogens and, especially, the evolutionary stability of these interactions, opens paths towards the development of new and more durable therapies. The biomedical, veterinary and agricultural implications of this research are undeniable.

List of links:

• Website of the Pathogens Systems Biology research program