Scientists have successfully grown a version of the Wuhan coronavirus which could pave the way for the development of a vaccine against the deadly illness.

Researchers from The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (Doherty Institute) in Melbourne said the breakthrough will allow for accurate investigation and diagnosis of the virus globally.

The Doherty Institute's Virus Identification Laboratory Head Dr Julian Druce called the development a "game changer".

The virus, which is believed to have emanated from the city in Hubei province, has killed 131 and infected nearly 6,000 people around the world.

"Chinese officials released the genome sequence of this novel coronavirus, which is helpful for diagnosis, however, having the real virus means we now have the ability to actually validate and verify all test methods and compare their sensitivities and specificities," Dr Druce said.