Death of a scientist who came close to achieving important results about coronavirus

Authorities in the US state of Pennsylvania found the body of a medical researcher who was about to make a significant scientific breakthrough on the novel coronavirus.

The Allegheny County Medical Officer said the researcher at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Dr Bing Liu, 37, was found dead on Saturday at his home in Ross Township, north of Pittsburgh.

He added that Liu was found dead as a result of gunshot wounds to the head, neck and torso, according to NBC News.

An hour after Liu's body was found, another 46-year-old Hao Gu was found dead in his car less than a mile from Liu's home.

Brian Culp, Ross Township police investigator, told NBC that the two men knew each other.

Investigators believe that Gu killed Liu before returning to his car, where he died of wounds to himself, while CNN reported that he committed suicide after killing Liu.

Culp said that the authorities are still investigating the relationship between the two men and about the possible existence of a motive for the killing.

Liu, who received a PhD in computer science from the National University of Singapore, worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Carnegie Mellon University before becoming an assistant researcher at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School.

In a statement, the University of Pittsburgh described Liu as an "excellent teacher and prolific researcher who co-authored more than 30 papers, and his work focused on systems biology."

The university said Liu "was on the verge of achieving very important results toward understanding the cellular mechanisms that underlie the novel coronavirus infection and the cellular basis for subsequent complications."

The university pledged to do its best "to complete what Liu started in an effort to pay tribute to his scientific excellence."