WATCH | Under the microscope: here's what the coronavirus looks like

A time-lapse video of the coronavirus growing could potentially be used to create a vaccine.

Scientists from The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (Doherty Institute) in Melbourne, Australia, have grown the Wuhan coronavirus from a patient sample. It will provide expert international laboratories with crucial information to help combat the virus.

This is the first time the virus has been grown in cell culture outside China. The Royal Melbourne Hospital’s Dr Julian Druce, virus identification laboratory head at the Doherty Institute, said it is a significant breakthrough as it will allow accurate investigation and diagnosis of the virus globally.

The Chinese city of Wuhan is scrambling to build two new hospitals in a race to contain the spread of coronavirus. The virus has killed nearly 200 people and infected more than 7,000.