As a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic, researchers from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) conducted a fundamental review of the issues with both identifying and studying unknown viruses. The research is published in the journal, Viruses.
Kamil Khafizov, one of the review authors from the MIPT Historical Genetics, Radiocarbon Analysis, and Applied Physics Lab, says, “There are, by various statistical estimations, over 320,000 various viruses infecting mammals. But up to date, less than 1% of this vast multitude has been studied.”
Most viruses have not been researched, which makes them harder to detect; our modern testing systems are only designed to target a limited number of viruses. According to the review authors, “Metaphorically, we are attempting to look at a vast sea of threats through the eye of a needle.” The review authors investigate why the polymerase chain reaction method, a microorganism molecular test, does a poor job of identifying relatively unknown viruses. The authors identify this as one of the main issues in modern virology.
The review authors believe that a technology called Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) shows promise in being able to sequence new viruses. NGS allows researchers to analyze multiple DNA molecules in parallel, meaning they can look at a set of samples from different regions side-by-side. Alina Matsvay, a MIPT doctoral student and review author says, “Efficient mathematical algorithms are a key part of the method. They allow researchers to compare the genome of an unknown virus against all available references of viral genomes, and predict all of its possible characteristics, including its pathogenic potential."
NGS isn’t widely used because the equipment and reagents for running tests are expensive, and NGS labs also require highly-trained lab personnel, both of which make it hard to integrate NGS into mainstream use. The NGS technology gets more accurate and efficient every year, which means it could be certified for use in health care soon. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the need for more NGS technology.