Virus Bank

A virus bank is a collection of viruses that are stored and maintained in a secure and controlled environment. Virus banks play an important role in virology research, vaccine development, and public health.

Virus banks can be used for a variety of purposes, including:

Research: Virus banks provide scientists with access to a wide range of viruses, which can be used to study virus biology, develop new antiviral drugs, and design new vaccines.

Vaccine development: Virus banks are essential for the development and production of vaccines. Virus banks provide vaccine manufacturers with a reliable source of high-quality virus seeds, which are used to produce vaccines.

Public health: Virus banks can play an important role in responding to public health threats, such as emerging infectious diseases. Virus banks can provide public health officials with access to virus strains that are needed to develop diagnostic tests, vaccines, and treatments.

Virus banks typically store viruses in the form of viral stocks, which are concentrated suspensions of infectious virus particles. Viral stocks are stored in ultra-low-temperature freezers at -80°C or below. This helps to preserve the infectivity of the viruses for long periods of time.

Virus banks are typically located in high-security facilities with restricted access. This helps to protect the viruses from contamination and unauthorized access.

Some examples of virus banks include:

* The American Type Culture Collection (ATCC)

* The National Collection of Cultured Bacteria (NCTC)

* The European Virus Archive (EVA)

* The World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses (WRCEVA)

* The Vaccine Research Institute (VRI)

Virus banks are essential resources for virology research, vaccine development, and public health. By providing access to a wide range of viruses, virus banks help scientists to understand virus biology, develop new antiviral drugs and vaccines, and respond to public health threats.