Virology division news
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Virology Division News
Plans for an ICTV database The meeting of the Executive Committee of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses on April 22-24, 1991 at the Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia was something of a watershed; debates that had dominated past meetings were concluded and bold plans made for the future. Firstly, after a quarter of a century of fierce debate, it was agreed that there a r e species of viruses, just like there are of the cellular organisms. This acceptance reflects the growing realization that species are defined quite differently across the world of biology to suit particular needs, and that asexually reproducing organisms, including viruses, can form species as stable as organisms that reproduce sexually- selection is the cohesive force that can keep a genetic lineage of individuals together, and sex is just one particularly active selective force. Secondly it was agreed that viral taxonomy should reflect the clear evidence from genomic sequencing that viral evolution has been polyphyletic. Thirdly, and most significantly, a decision was made to assemble a computerized database of all viruses over the next several years. Existing databases will be expanded, using the worldwide network of ICTV subcommittee and study groups. The database will be established in a network of collaborating laboratories, and will be linked through the use of a common core character list and software. This database will be used to produce ICTV reports, books, information systems, teaching aids and interactive systems for identifying and characterizing viruses. Some members of the ICTV Executive attended a meeting in Brussels at the Commission of the European Communities on February 24th and 25th hosted by Dr. Mark Cantley of the Concertation Unit for Biotechnology (Directorate-General XII/F 1). This "information meeting" provided an opportunity to tell R & D programme managers and science policy advisers of the database plans, to learn about the processes by which science is funded by the C.E.C., and to discuss the possibilities for C.E.C. involvement in the project. There was a very useful exchange of information on present funding strategies of the C.E.C., and its involvement in the general area of bioinformatics. Plans for the first phase of the database project wilt be further refinded at a meeting of the ICTV's Executive Committee to be held at the N.E.R.C. Institute of Virology and Environmental Microbiology, Oxford, U.K. on April 6-8, 1992. Dr. Adrian Gibbs Molecular Evolution and Systematics Group, R.S.B.S., Australian National University, Canberra, A.C.T., Australia.
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Virology Division News
To the Chairpersons of ICTV Study Groups This is to ask your cooperation in publishing taxonomic updates and discussions pertaining to your virus family (group) in the VDN column of this journal. After the Oxford midterm meeting you may want to consider writing such a paper. I can assure you that there is a great interest for this type of information by virologists at large, and the art
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