Plant viruses go global: the European Virus Archive

The European Virus Archive - Global (EVA-Global; https://www.european-virus-archive.com) is a non-profit organization involving a global network with expertise in animal, human, and plant virology, consisting of 38 partner laboratories both based in EU member states and abroad. EVA-Global, as part of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme’s funding, is conceived to be an open-access entity aiming at developing synergies and complementary capabilities to offer improved access to researchers and industry. The web-based catalogue (https://www.european-virus-archive.com/evag-portal) provides easy access for the end user to the collections, including viruses, derived materials, services, and engineered cells. The consortium ensures that the available materials meet the highest scientific standards regarding safety, quality, and characterization. While the property of the provided materials remains with the originators, specific EU funding provides the option for free-of-charge access to viral resources for public research institutions. Besides virus material, antibodies, molecular detection assays, cutting-edge methodology for virus cultivation, preservation, and analyses are available. All partners agreed on implementing a quality management system. The large number of distinct viruses and isolates enables the concept of preparedness that has been beneficial to researchers worldwide during the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Moreover, EVA-Global contributes to the preservation of virus biodiversity. Here, we summarize EVA-Global activities in building a network to actively share plant viruses and plant virus-derived products.