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COVID-19 RESEARCH
Northumbria University NEWS • Summer 2021
“THIS PROJECT HAS SUCCESSFULLY ILLUSTRATED THE TRANSLATIONAL POWER OF GENOMICS IN HELPING US TO UNDERSTAND INFECTIOUS DISEASE EVOLUTION AND TRANSMISSION DURING THIS PANDEMIC.” PROFESSOR DARREN SMITH
Mapping Covid-19
KEY FACTS
Over half a million genomes sequenced in total since the start of the pandemic*
Over 1,500 genomes sequenced
For over a year, academics from Northumbria University have been working with partners in the Covid-19 Genomics UK consortium (COG-UK) to map the spread and evolution of Covid-19 - insight which is vital to help combat the pandemic. On 23 March 2020, the government announced the launch of COG-UK, a consortium backed the UK’s leading clinicians and scientists to map how Covid-19 spreads and behaves by using whole genome sequencing. Genome sequencing analyses the virus sample taken from a Covid-19 positive patient and compares it with other cases. The consortium - comprising the NHS, Public Health Agencies, Wellcome Sanger Institute, and several academic institutions, including Northumbria – is delivering large scale, rapid sequencing of the virus. This provides public health agencies, hospitals, regional NHS centres and the government unique, cuttingedge intelligence that enables them to rapidly evaluate ways to reduce the impact of the disease on society. Northumbria University is a funded academic partner of the COG-UK consortium. Experts from Northumbria have been using the University’s DNA sequencing research facility, NUOMICS, to assist the consortium in rapidly sequencing whole SARS-CoV-2 genomes since April 2020. So far, Northumbria
has sequenced over 18,000 SARS-CoV-2 genomes, with a highest weekly submission of approximately 1,900 genomes. At the beginning of March this year, Darren Smith, Professor of bacteriophage biology from Northumbria’s Department of Applied Sciences and consortium lead for the University, was appointed as one of four new Deputy Directors of COG-UK. In his new role he is supporting the Executive Director and Chair, Professor Sharon Peacock, as well as the steering committee and COG network, in transitioning testing back to Public Health England (PHE). He will also help to shape the future use of genomics in pathogen surveillance – monitoring the spread of disease - regionally and nationally. Professor Smith also continues to lead work locally with seven NHS partners and PHE, with Northumbria acting as the North East England’s regional sequencing hub for Covid-19. In June, the consortium reached a total of over half a million genomes analysed from across
the UK - a milestone no one wanted to reach, but reflective of the herculean efforts of all involved. Reflecting on the last 15 months, Professor Smith said: “I am extremely proud of how hard the team and our clinical colleagues have worked so far as part of this groundbreaking network of sequencing centres across the UK. We have scaled our capacity to support a broad surveillance of viral genomic variation across the North of England, feeding into the national picture informed by COG-UK as a whole. “Alongside this we have supported hospital infection control teams and PHE in understanding outbreaks and transmission in a range of clinical, and other important institutional settings. Genomic sequencing in this context is very powerful and can show transmission within clinical settings as we trace viral mutations between cases, informing infection control practise in a way never before possible. “This project has successfully illustrated the translational power of genomics in helping us to understand infectious disease evolution and transmission during this pandemic. We continue in our monitoring of variants of concern such as
within the first month (West African Ebola outbreak ~1,500 genomes sequenced in two years.)
the Kent, South African and Indian lineages. Continued observation of these existing and new variants is essential to shape important public health decisions, locally, nationally and globally.” On the first year anniversary of the project, Professor Sharon Peacock, Executive Director and Chair, COG-UK, thanked all colleagues involved, commenting: “As a consortium, these achievements, and many more besides, have been met while juggling countless Zoom meetings, home-schooling, and support of family members amidst the ongoing lockdowns and restrictions. “We thank all within the consortium for your outstanding dedication, commitment and support throughout the past year that has made COG-UK and its achievements possible.” Find out more about Northumbria’s NU-OMICS DNA sequencing facility at www. northumbria.ac.uk/nu-omics
DISCOVER MORE www.northumbria.ac.uk/ appliedsciences
Over 600 consortium members
Over 75 NHS sites
16 universities
4 public health agencies
Over £30 million awarded in funding *Correct as of 21/06/2021. For updated daily figures, please see the COG-UK Mutation Explorer, an open-access dashboard that provides access to data on SARS-CoV-2 mutations and variants of interest.