Wuhan Institute of Virology facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Wuhan Institute of Virology

中国科学院武汉病毒研究所
Abbreviation	WIV
Predecessor	Wuhan Microbiology Laboratory South China Institute of Microbiology Wuhan Microbiology Institute Microbiology Institute of Hubei Province
Formation	1956
Founder	Chen Huagui, Gao Shangyin
Headquarters	Xiaohongshan, Wuchang District, Wuhan, Hubei, China
Director-General	Wang Yanyi
Party Committee Secretary	Xiao Gengfu
Deputy Director-General	Gong Peng, Guan Wuxiang, Xiao Gengfu
Parent organization	Chinese Academy of Sciences
Staff (2014)	295

The Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) is a special science center in Wuhan, China. It is part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This institute focuses on studying virology, which is the science of viruses. It was started in 1956 and is known for having China's first high-level safety lab, called a biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) lab, which opened in 2018. The WIV works with scientists from other countries, like the United States, France, and Canada. It is a leading place for studying coronaviruses.

History of the Institute

The WIV began in 1956 as the Wuhan Microbiology Laboratory. It was founded by scientists Gao Shangyin and Chen Huagui. Over the years, its name changed a few times. In 1961, it became the South China Institute of Microbiology. Then, in 1962, it was called the Wuhan Microbiology Institute. In 1970, it was briefly managed by Hubei Province. Finally, in June 1978, it returned to the Chinese Academy of Sciences and was named the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Building High-Safety Labs

In 2003, plans were approved to build a biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) laboratory at the WIV. This is the highest level of safety for labs. It means they can safely study the most dangerous viruses. The lab was built with help from the French government. It cost about 300 million yuan (around US$44 million).

The new lab building has a large BSL-4 area. It also has many BSL-2 and BSL-3 labs, which have lower but still important safety levels. The BSL-4 lab was officially ready in January 2017 and started working in January 2018. This top-level safety is needed because the institute studies very risky viruses. These include viruses like SARS, influenza H5N1, Japanese encephalitis, and dengue.

Working with Other Countries

The WIV's high-safety lab works closely with the Galveston National Laboratory in the United States. Scientists from the WIV have also worked with international teams to create special "hybrid" coronaviruses. These studies help scientists understand how viruses might change.

Many safety steps were taken when building the Wuhan lab. It was built away from areas that could flood. It was also designed to survive a strong earthquake, even though earthquakes are rare there. Many WIV staff members were trained in France, Australia, Canada, and the United States. They also had training at the institute before the lab opened. Experts like U.S. molecular biologist Richard H. Ebright have called the WIV a "world-class research institution." He noted that the WIV is a leader in studying coronaviruses found in bats.

Research on Coronaviruses

The Wuhan Institute of Virology is well-known for its research on coronaviruses. These are a large family of viruses that can cause illnesses.

Studying SARS-Related Viruses

In 2005, WIV researchers helped publish a study about where the SARS coronavirus came from. They found that horseshoe bats in China carry natural SARS-like coronaviruses. For many years, the researchers continued this work. They collected samples from thousands of horseshoe bats across China. From these samples, they found over 300 different bat coronavirus types.

In 2015, a team including WIV scientists did important research. They found out if a bat coronavirus could infect human cells. They created a "hybrid virus" by combining parts of a bat coronavirus with a SARS virus. This hybrid virus was able to infect human cells. This kind of research helps scientists understand how viruses might jump from animals to humans.

In 2017, a WIV team announced a big discovery. They found coronaviruses in bats in a cave in Yunnan that had all the genetic parts of the SARS virus. They thought that the original human SARS virus might have come from this cave. The team warned that there was a risk of these viruses spreading to people.

In 2018, another study by WIV showed that some villagers living near these bat caves had antibodies to bat coronaviruses in their blood. This meant that the viruses might have passed from bats to people. Before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, coronavirus research at the WIV was done in BSL-2 and BSL-3 labs.

Role in the COVID-19 Pandemic

In December 2019, doctors in Wuhan reported cases of a new type of pneumonia. This illness was linked to an unknown coronavirus. The WIV checked its collection of viruses. They found that the new virus was 96% similar to RaTG13, a virus their researchers had found in horseshoe bats.

As the virus spread globally, the institute continued its work. In February 2020, a team led by Shi Zhengli at the WIV was the first to identify and name the genetic code of the new virus. They shared this information with scientists worldwide. They also published their findings in the journal Nature. This helped other scientists understand the virus quickly.

Research Centers

The Wuhan Institute of Virology has several specialized centers for different types of research:

• Center for Emerging Infectious Disease
• Chinese Virus Resources and Bioinformatics Center
• Center of Applied and Environmental Microbiology
• Department of Analytical Biochemistry and Biotechnology
• Department of Molecular Virology

See also

In Spanish: Instituto de Virología de Wuhan para niños

• Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
• Investigations into the origin of COVID-19
• Scientific Advisory Group for Origins of Novel Pathogens
• Zoonosis