RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS. Basic research and cross-disciplinary collaborations with veterinary virologists can play a crucial role in research on the new coronavirus. Tomas Bergström, professor of microbiology, puts the virus and its disease covid-19 in a larger context in the latest episode of the Akademiliv podcast.
Listen to the episode with Tomas Bergström here (in Swedish): https://soundcloud.com/sahlgrenskaakademin/tomas-bergstrom-ger-den-breda-bilden-av-det-nya-coronaviruset-med-fokus-pa-forskning
Today it is not fully known how exactly it the corona viruses bind to cells and multiply. If we gain such knowledge, it may be possible to produce antiviral drugs that inhibit the replication of the virus, which has proven to be successful for several other viruses, including herpes and hepatitis c, Tomas Bergström says:
“In the longer term, basic research plays a crucial role. We know little about corona viruses today. The scientists who know most are veterinary virologists, since cattle such as cows and pigs can suffer from severe corona virus infections. Here are possible research collaborations to explore.”
Discussions are now underway among virologists in Sweden to see if it is possible to agree on what research tracks to collaborate on.
Already, several international scientific manuscripts on the new corona virus have been published, but the quality of these studies varies, according to Tomas Bergström. He is critical that several journals quickly publish results without the usual collegial review.
This episode of the pod was recorded on Wednesday, March 25. Tomas Bergström is interviewed by Communcations Officers Margareta Gustafsson Kubista and Elin Lindström.
TEXT: ELIN LINDSTRÖM
