Coronaviruses have emerged rapidly by mutation or recombination of existing strains altering tissue tropisms and/or species specificity in animals and despite intensive management and vaccine efforts, these "new" coronaviruses are still major problems worldwide. The emergence of a new human coronavirus from zoonotic reservoirs is not surprising given the widespread activity noted in economically important animals. In reality, epidemiologic trends for many viral pathogens are based on relatively short (<60 years) timelines, with underreporting, of disease surveillance trends in human populations. The emergence of the SARS-CoV underscores the critical need for maintaining active basic science research not only on the medically relevant human pathogens, but also on virus families that are associated with limited or benign disease outcomes in humans. The limited investment in coronavirus research primarily in Europe and the US provided key investments necessary for the rapid identification and sequencing of the SARS-CoV genome, the prompt development of rapid PCR-based detection methods, the identification of the S gene as the likely candidate target for vaccine development, potential problems in vaccines and therapeutics development, and the development of reverse genetic systems; all within a few months of emergence.