“[The coronavirus outbreak in China] is a somber, but exciting time,” says Butler Biology Assistant Professor Dr. Chris Stobart, who’s leading the research team. “It’s a weird moment for scientists to be in this position; as scientists, we’re intrigued and excited to see what this virus is going to do. We’re able to watch and witness how it’s adapting to humans, and it gives us new insight into what coronaviruses do in general. But on a more somber note, there are a lot of people who are becoming extremely sick or dying from these infections.”