“We gave the virus optimal conditions to keep developing and wanted to see whether it would eventually attenuate—basically weaken—over time. It didn’t,” Dr Foster said.
“In all cases, by the time we stopped, the viruses were still growing happily and picking up mutations.”
There were new mutations which popped up repeatedly in different strains – a phenomenon known as convergent evolution – as well as changes which mirrored those seen in real world outbreaks.
The similarities suggest the virus may be naturally inclined to develop certain changes, regardless of the environment and external pressures, said senior author William Rawlinson, a Conjoint Professor with the School of Biomedical Sciences.
Some mutations which help the virus adapt may be driven by the makeup of the virus itself, rather than a bid to evade immunity, he said.
“Some of the changes we saw in humans were also happening in vitro, which suggests it’s not just about transmissibility or immune evasion—it’s also about the structure and function of the virus itself,” Prof. Rawlinson said.
“They could develop these important mutations even in the absence of a catalyst.”
https://www.unsw.edu.au/content/unsw-sites/au/en/newsroom/news/2025/06/the-virus-that-won-t-quit-new-research-reveals-how-sars-cov-2-evolves.html
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