Viruses are infectious agents composed of a protein capsid surrounding a nucleic acid genome, which enter a cell and reproduce using cellular mechanisms.  Viral infection may result in a variety of pathologies, ranging from asymptomatic infections to mild disease to debilitating and fatal illness. In rare cases, viruses may cause deadly pandemics that claim hundreds of thousands of lives in a brief period.

While numerous scientific breakthroughs have been made on a number of viral species critical to human and animal health, more research is needed to fully understand the transmission dynamics, pathogenicity, and evolution of these microorganisms so that effective antivirals, vaccines, and diagnostic tests can be developed.

To support research on these pathogens, ATCC provides a growing portfolio of clinically relevant viral strains, genomic and synthetic nucleic acids, antibodies, and antisera. These authenticated and fully characterized materials include those relevant to major public health emergencies such as Zika virus, Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV), the Influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 virus, and the Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

ATCC’s collection of animal viruses and related reference materials are available to the global scientific community to support basic research and diagnostic development. Explore our collection today.