Editorial: The role of genetics studies in the discovery of new viruses and in the analysis of pathogeny of viral infections

Abstract

Following the development of the PCR and the internet in the early 80’s, the molecular revolution took off in the 90’s and by the new millennium most research was utilizing some variation of the technique and platform. Subsequently, the amount of information grew exponentially allowing the scientific community to speed up discovery and it has continued ever since. However, in the last decade the application of new technologies and bioinformatic approaches has again enhanced the creation of data and allowed sharing to a magnitude never seen before. At present the focus is on approaches that have moved research from the genomics to the transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, etc., allowing for a better understanding of pathophysiologic processes but also permitting the steep acceleration in drug discovery by permitting in silico modeling and prediction before moving into the lab, cutting costs and times significantly. Due to the exponential gain of knowledge on viral pathogenesis, we are on the verge of a new therapeutics’ revolution. In recent years, we have seen the emergence of new viral infections such as SARS-CoV- 2 and the re-emergence of known diseases such as Dengue or the continuous occurrence of spillover events of Influenza in different parts of the world. Globalization of human travel and encroachment into natural environments have increased opportunities for spillover viruses to travel around the globe.