UK Genome Project , Takes Aim at Tracking , Respiratory Viruses.
'The Guardian' reports that U.K. labs have been sequencing thousands of COVID genomes every day to track circulating variants since the pandemic began.
Now, scientists at the Sanger Institute are working on a project to develop large-scale genomic surveillance for multiple respiratory viruses.
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The Respiratory Virus and Microbiome Initiative will monitor for influenza, RSV, adenovirus, rhinovirus and other emerging threats.
The Respiratory Virus and Microbiome Initiative will monitor for influenza, RSV, adenovirus, rhinovirus and other emerging threats.
It comes out of the simple idea that what we’ve done for COVID, we should now be doing for all respiratory viruses, because if we can establish a better understanding of these viruses, we can be in a better place to understand their transmission and how to develop vaccines against them.
, Dr. Ewan Harrison at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, via 'The Guardian' .
It comes out of the simple idea that what we’ve done for COVID, we should now be doing for all respiratory viruses, because if we can establish a better understanding of these viruses, we can be in a better place to understand their transmission and how to develop vaccines against them.
, Dr. Ewan Harrison at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, via 'The Guardian' .
The genome sequencing method could be used to rapidly identify which virus, or viruses, are present in a patient.
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It allows you to detect known viruses, but also perhaps new viruses, or viruses that have mutated and are therefore no longer picked up by [standard PCR tests].
, Dr. Antonia Ho, consultant in infectious diseases and clinical senior lecturer at the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, via 'The Guardian' .
It allows you to detect known viruses, but also perhaps new viruses, or viruses that have mutated and are therefore no longer picked up by [standard PCR tests].
, Dr. Antonia Ho, consultant in infectious diseases and clinical senior lecturer at the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, via 'The Guardian' .
'The Guardian' reports that knowing which viruses are present could guide individual treatment while also ensuring that vaccines remain as protective as possible.
The public health impact of this should not be underestimated and has been clearly demonstrated by the COVID-19 vaccine program.
, Dr. Catherine Hyams at the University of Bristol, via 'The Guardian' .
The public health impact of this should not be underestimated and has been clearly demonstrated by the COVID-19 vaccine program.
, Dr. Catherine Hyams at the University of Bristol, via 'The Guardian' .
'The Guardian' reports that the new form of genomic monitoring could also help scientists develop more effective strategies to contain pandemics
