Elsevier established a free COVID-19 resource center in January 2020, offering English and Mandarin information on SARS-CoV-2. The center is hosted on Elsevier Connect, and the company grants permission for free access to its research in PubMed Central and other repositories. A study by Kim et al. provides a high-resolution map of the SARS-CoV-2 transcriptome and epitranscriptome, revealing complex viral transcripts with RNA modifications. The study uses DNA nanoball sequencing and nanopore direct RNA sequencing to analyze the transcriptome, identifying 41 potential RNA modification sites with an AAGAA motif. The research highlights the complexity of SARS-CoV-2 transcription, including discontinuous events and unknown ORFs. The study also finds that modified RNAs have shorter poly(A) tails, suggesting a link between modification and the 3' tail. The findings contribute to understanding the virus's life cycle and pathogenicity. The study also identifies noncanonical transcripts and their fusion sites, providing insights into viral RNA synthesis and recombination. The research underscores the importance of understanding SARS-CoV-2's transcriptome for developing diagnostic and therapeutic tools. The study is supported by various funding sources and includes detailed methods and data availability. The research contributes to the broader understanding of coronaviruses and their RNA modifications.Elsevier established a free COVID-19 resource center in January 2020, offering English and Mandarin information on SARS-CoV-2. The center is hosted on Elsevier Connect, and the company grants permission for free access to its research in PubMed Central and other repositories. A study by Kim et al. provides a high-resolution map of the SARS-CoV-2 transcriptome and epitranscriptome, revealing complex viral transcripts with RNA modifications. The study uses DNA nanoball sequencing and nanopore direct RNA sequencing to analyze the transcriptome, identifying 41 potential RNA modification sites with an AAGAA motif. The research highlights the complexity of SARS-CoV-2 transcription, including discontinuous events and unknown ORFs. The study also finds that modified RNAs have shorter poly(A) tails, suggesting a link between modification and the 3' tail. The findings contribute to understanding the virus's life cycle and pathogenicity. The study also identifies noncanonical transcripts and their fusion sites, providing insights into viral RNA synthesis and recombination. The research underscores the importance of understanding SARS-CoV-2's transcriptome for developing diagnostic and therapeutic tools. The study is supported by various funding sources and includes detailed methods and data availability. The research contributes to the broader understanding of coronaviruses and their RNA modifications.