Rome (Fides Service) – A new database on line of genetic information on the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome SARS could help to control SARS. A least this is the hope of Canadian scientists co-ordinating the programme. The web site will be part of a series of efforts to study and fight the virus which killed 800 people earlier this year. Although its diffusion appears to be under control (but a few days ago another case of suspected infection was reported in Taiwan) the search for a potential vaccine continues. Not to mention the fact that SARS could make a come-back like influenza in the coming Winter season. The free access site SARS Bioinformatics Suite http://athena.bioc.uvic.ca/sars/ was launched at the end of May. It contains the genetic codes of 33 viruses including various types of the SARS virus isolated in infected persons as well as from birds, cows, pigs and other human corona virus which may cause the respiratory syndrome. The database is regularly updated and the site offers personalised software to help research of certain genetic characteristics AP (Fides Service 1/7/2003 EM lines 18 Words: 201)