Why Did Russia, Having Awakened the Sleeping Mammoth, Start Virus Research?

Russia Analyzes Ice Age Animal Remains... Aiming to Study Prehistoric Viruses
French Professor Calls It "Very Dangerous Experiment"... Concerns Over Human Infection

[Image source=Pixabay]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Recently, Russia has begun research on ancient viruses sealed in permafrost. Some express concerns that a new virus pandemic may occur following COVID-19.

On the 16th (local time), according to the British daily The Times, researchers at Vector, the National Virus Biotechnology Research Center in Novosibirsk Oblast, Russia, are analyzing the remains of Ice Age animals such as mammoths. The goal is to identify and revive prehistoric viruses. This research, aimed at revealing the evolutionary forms of viruses, reportedly began last year in the Yakutia region of northeastern Siberia.

Some voices express concern about the outbreak of new infectious diseases. Vector's research on viruses unknown to the human immune system carries significant risks. Professor Jean-Michel Claverie of Aix-Marseille University in France, who specializes in virology, stated, "Some of the viruses studied by Vector are estimated to be 200,000 to 400,000 years old," adding, "If these viruses infected mammoths and other large animals, humans could also be infected."

A polar bear on a glacier in Greenland, North America. Photo by Reuters

Research on ancient viruses has been actively progressing recently. This is because the ice in permafrost is rapidly melting due to global warming, revealing viruses that were previously trapped.

Earlier this month, viruses that had been trapped frozen in Siberian soil for tens of thousands of years were found to retain infectivity. According to the Washington Post (WP) on the 4th, a research team composed of French, Russian, and German scientists discovered 13 previously unknown viruses, including one estimated to have been buried under a lake in the permafrost of the Yakutsk region about 48,500 years ago.

However, the research team at that time claimed to study only viruses that infect amoebas, not humans.

Such virus research is justified as a measure to prepare for the eventual thawing of permafrost due to warming.

However, some raise doubts about the necessity of this research. Philippa Lenczows, a biosecurity expert at King's College London, UK, pointed out, "There has not been sufficient discussion about whether our society wants to take such risks," adding, "Even if safe methods are used, accidents can happen."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.