As a biology student, Hovakim Zakaryan developed an interest in stem cells; these are undifferentiated cells with a unique ability to differentiate into a variety of specialized cell types. In the early 2000s, he faced challenges in locating any groups or laboratories dedicated to stem cell research within Armenia's scientific institutions. He eventually discovered a lab at the Institute of Molecular Biology of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, which was researching regular cells and viruses. Hovakim developed an interest in viruses while he was working at that lab.

His experience studying viruses at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Virology in Germany and the Centre for Molecular Biology Severo Ochoa in Spain led to a greater interest in this field of study.

Upon his return to Armenia, Hovakim established the Research Group of Antiviral Defense Mechanisms at the Institute of Molecular Biology, where he and his colleagues began researching the antiviral properties of novel chemical compounds. The research group consisted of three members at the time it was formed. They were looking for antiviral drug candidates against African swine fever virus․

The team expanded over time. In 2020, it achieved the status of a laboratory and was renamed the Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Discovery. The team now consists of eight members, from undergraduates to Ph.Ds.

Let's explore the Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Discovery; read the article here.

Author: Anna Sahakyan,
Video by Roman Abovyan,
Photos by Roman Abovyan, Sargis Kharazyan, and Julietta Hovhannisyan