On the 23rd March, The UK’s Chief Scientific Adviser supported the UK’s leading scientists and clinicians in their goal to map how COVID-19 spreads by using whole genome sequencing. The consortium will be able to look for breakthroughs and help save lives with a £20 million investment.
The COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium is comprised of the NHS, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Public Health Agencies and other academic institutions. The Consortium will deliver rapid sequencing on a large scale to discover the cause of the disease and share information with the government, regional NHS centres and hospitals.
The samples taken from patients who have COVID-19 will be sent to numerous sequencing centres in Cambridge, Belfast, London and Nottingham to name a few.
The being one of the world’s most advanced centres of data and genomes, will work with expert groups across the UK to analyse the genetic makeup of COVID-19 samples. This will ensure that clinicians and public health agencies will have a cutting-edge and unique toll to combat the virus.
Government Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance said:
“Genomic sequencing will help us understand COVID-19 and its spread. It can also help guide treatments in the future and see the impact of interventions.
“The UK is one of the world’s leading destinations for genomics research and development, and I am confident that our best minds, working as part of this consortium, will make vital breakthroughs to help us tackle this disease.”
Business Secretary Alok Sharma said:
“At a critical moment in history, this new consortium will bring together the UK’s brightest and best scientists to build our understanding of this pandemic, tackle the disease and ultimately, save lives.
“As a government we are working tirelessly to do all we can to fight COVID-19 to protect as many lives and save as many jobs as possible.
“The UK Consortium, supported by the government, including the NHS, Public Health England, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and Wellcome, will enable clinicians and public health teams to rapidly investigate clusters of cases in hospitals, care homes and the community, to understand how the virus is spread and implement appropriate infection control measures.”
Professor Sharon Peacock, Director of the National Infection Service, Public Health England, said:
“This virus is one of the biggest threats our nation has faced in recent times and crucial to helping us fight it is understanding how it is spreading. Harnessing innovative genome technologies will help us tease apart the complex picture of coronavirus spread in the UK, and rapidly evaluate ways to reduce the impact of this disease on our society.”
Professor Sir Mike Stratton, Director of the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said:
“In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Sanger Institute will deploy its large-scale sequencing platform alongside regional sequencing centres to support UK Public Health Agencies, regional NHS centres and several Universities to better understand the coronavirus outbreak in the UK.
Samples from substantial numbers of confirmed cases of COVID-19 will be whole genome sequenced and, employing the Sanger Institute’s expertise in genomics and surveillance of infectious diseases, our researchers will collaborate with other leading groups across the country to analyse the data generated and work out how coronavirus is spreading in the UK. This will inform national and international strategies to control the pandemic and prevent further spread.”
Sir Jeremy Farrar, Director of Wellcome, said:
“By bringing together public health expertise from Public Health England and genomic science from the Wellcome Sanger Institute the UK can crack the code of this virus, and we should give everyone involved huge credit for that.
“Rapid genome sequencing of COVID-19 will give us unparalleled insights into the spread, distribution and scale of the epidemic in the UK. The power of 21st century science to combat this pandemic is something that those going before us could not have dreamt of, and it is incumbent on us to do everything we can to first understand, and then limit, the impact of COVID-19.”
Professor Fiona Watt, Executive Chair of the Medical Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation said:
“The UK is a leader in cutting edge genome sequencing science. We are now applying specialist expertise in our fight to slow the spread of coronavirus and accelerate treatments for those affected.
“The ambitious and coordinated response of our research community to the COVID-19 challenge is remarkable.
This investment and the findings from the consortium will help prepare the UK and the world for future pandemics.”
Article source: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-launches-whole-genome-sequence-alliance-to-map-spread-of-coronavirus
Tracy is an Editor and Marketing Director who helps healthcare professionals and technology companies work together to digitise the UK healthcare system. After many years of helping award winning technology companies bring their innovations to the UK market she launched the Health Tech Digital resource platform which keeps healthcare professionals up to date with industry news and technology solutions for their establishments. Tracy is also the Marketing Director of Reborn Marketing Ltd and has worked with both private and public sectors focusing on technology in the UK for the past 7 years. If you have news you would like to share or would like to get in touch regarding your healthcare technology solution you can reach Tracy at tracy.williams@healthtechdigital.com.
