RSF panel chair for medical sciences, virologist Alexander Lukashev comments on COVID-19 pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has brought virology research to the forefront of public attention like never before. Since its establishment in 2014, the Russian Science Foundation (RSF) has funded over 120 research projects about the origins, circulation, mutations and effects of various viruses. A team led by Alexander Lukashev from Sechenov University is making world-class contribution to this field. The methods developed by this team for analysing viral genetics are now being used to investigate the “gene cloud” of naturally occurring coronaviruses. This will allow us to better understand and visualise how viruses exchange genes, and thus ensure their survive, “jump across” interspecies barriers and become dangerous for humans and humanity (the interview was prepared for the RSF News Digest).