Advertisement

Updated February 17th, 2021 at 12:43 IST

Scientists in Russia to analyse pre-historic viruses in animals dug from melted permafrost

A Siberia-based laboratory has announced that it will be launching research into prehistoric viruses. This will be done by analysing the remains of animals.

Reported by: Akanksha Arora
Scientists
| Image:self
Advertisement

Russia is seeking to unlock unknown pre-historic viruses up to 50,000 years old by extracting biological material from carcasses of ancient animals recovered from melted permafrost. The Siberia-based lab on Tuesday announced said in a statement that the aim of the project was to identify paleoviruses and conduct advanced research into virus evolution. Scientists will take samples from a collection of specimens preserved in ice which have been found in recent years. They are working with the remains of extinct mammoths, rhinos, as well as prehistoric dogs, horses, elk, rodents. 

Study of viruses 

The research will analyse tissues extracted from a pre-historic horse believed to be at least 4,500 years old. In collaboration with North-Eastern Federal University in Yakutsk, Vektor said the remains were discovered in 2009 in Yakutia. This is a vast Siberian region where remains of palaeolithic animals are discovered regularly. Often, mammoths are also discovered in the region. 

Read: Russia's Second COVID-19 Vaccine EpiVacCorona '100% Effective' In Early Trials: Report

According to the reports, researchers further revealed that they will be also launching a probe into the remains of mammoths, elk, dogs, partridges, rodents, hares and other prehistoric animals. The head of the Mammoth Museum laboratory at North-Eastern Federal University, Maxim Cheprasov, in a press release said that the recovered animals have already been a part of bacterial studies. The same laboratory has developed Russia’s second coronavirus vaccine, EpiVacCorona. It has proved to be 100 per cent effective in early-stage trials, consumer health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor told TASS news agency. According to the Russian local media outlet, the data based on Phase I and II trials were released before the start of the Phase III trial. 

Read: Scientists 'accidentally Discover' Life Far Underneath The Ice Shelves Of The Antarctic

However, Rospotrebnadzor reported that the effectiveness of the vaccine is made up of its immunological effectiveness and preventative effectiveness and the results of the initial two trials have shown the “immunological effectiveness of the EpiVacCorona vaccine to be 100%”. According to TASS media outlet, the phase I and II studies tested the safety, side effects and immunogenicity of the potential vaccine in 100 people aged 18-60. It is worth noting that Russia had begun the testing of EpiVacCorona.

Read: UK Variant Of COVID-19 Is Probably More Lethal, Scientists Say

Also Read: UK Scientists Develop Test That Can Detect Womb Cancer Using Urine Sample

(Image Credits: Unsplash)

Advertisement

Published February 17th, 2021 at 12:43 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending Quicks

delhi cm arvind kejriwal
a few seconds ago
Hanuma Vihari
a few seconds ago
Animal
10 minutes ago
accident
10 minutes ago
BJP leader Dilip Ghosh
12 minutes ago
BREAKING: Mukhtar Ansari Suffers Heart Attack, Admitted to Hospital in Serious Condition
19 minutes ago
Mukhtar Ansari Sentenced to Life Imprisonment in 1990 Arms Licence Case | Live
20 minutes ago
Mukhtar Ansari Sentenced to Life Imprisonment in 1990 Arms Licence Case | Live
22 minutes ago
Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar
23 minutes ago
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo