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Nous voulons déterminer précisément ce que fait le virus.

Nous voulons déterminer précisément ce que fait le virus.
We want to determine precisely what the virus does.
From Lesson 180:Reported questions with what (il demande ce qui, ce que)·French

Questions & Answers about Nous voulons déterminer précisément ce que fait le virus.

Why do we use ce que instead of ce qui here?
In indirect questions, ce que means "what" when it is the object of the following verb, while ce qui is used when "what" is the subject. Here, the subject doing the action is le virus (the virus does something). Because "what" is the receiving object of the verb fait, we must use ce que.
Why is the verb fait placed before its subject le virus?
When the subject after ce que is a noun (like le virus) rather than a pronoun (like il), French speakers frequently invert the verb and the subject. While ce que le virus fait is grammatically correct, ce que fait le virus sounds much more natural and is highly preferred in both written and spoken French.
Could I use quoi instead of ce que to mean "what" in this sentence?
No. Although quoi means "what" in standalone direct questions, you cannot use it to link clauses in an indirect question. When "what" connects two parts of a sentence like this, you must use the relative pronouns ce que or ce qui.
Why does the adverb précisément come right after déterminer?
When an adverb modifies an infinitive verb like déterminer, it is usually placed immediately after that infinitive. Unlike in English, where you might place the adverb before the verb (precisely determine), French keeps the adverb firmly after the verb it modifies.

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