A national research team of 14 experts has been set up to help prevent and control the latest novel coronavirus outbreak in China, the Ministry of Science and Technology announced Friday, according to state news agency Xinhua.
The anti-virus research team is a part of the ministry's emergency sci-tech project, which was jointly launched with the National Health Commission and other departments at a recent meeting.
The project will offer sci-tech support on 10 research aspects, including virus tracking, virus transmission, detection methods, genome evolution and vaccine development.

Respiratory scientist Zhong Nanshan has been appointed to head the team. Zhong is regarded as one of the heroes in China's fight against SARS in 2003 and has already taken a leading role in tackling the Wuhan virus.
His intervention earlier this month helped raise the alarm after the potential danger of the virus was initially downplayed by Wuhan officials.