Phylodynamics: A Virus “Profiler”
An article in *Le Monde* published on April 22 tells us more about a relatively new but particularly valuable field in COVID-19 research: phylodynamics. Among those cited is Samuel Alizon, a researcher at the University of Montpellier.
“The idea behind phylodynamics is that the way viruses spread leaves traces in their genomes,” explains Samuel Alizon, a researcher at the University of Montpellier in the Infectious Diseases and Vectors: Ecology, Genetics, Evolution, and Control (Mivegec) laboratory, in an article titled:“Phylodynamics: The Other Way to Track the Coronavirus,”published in Le Monde on April 22. These are minute traces, which the community of phylodynamics experts tracks by analyzing the thousands of DNA sequences of the virus that are now available.
The goal? To answer the countless questions raised by this pandemic. Where did this virus come from? When did it first infect humans? How fast is it spreading? How many people are potentially affected? These are all essential answers for gaining a better understanding of the virus and, consequently, for anticipating its evolution—answers that the Montpellier-based researcher is analyzing with the help of mathematicians from Lirmm, in particular, and using the PhyML software developed by Vincent Guindon (see: PhyML, Montpellier-based software to trace the COVID-19 epidemic).
A fascinating and insightful article in *Le Monde*, in which internationally renowned scientists help us better understand the significance of this discipline, which didn’t even exist 20 years ago. The article also takes the time to discuss the necessary precautions to take when analyzing data from this highly nuanced field.