Webinar “COVID-19: variants detection and EMERGEN program”
Webinar “COVID-19: variants detection and EMERGEN program”
The first webinar organized as part of the AFROSCREEN project was held by Dr Christophe Rodriguez, who presented the methods for detecting SARS-CoV-2 variants and the EMERGENprogram, a French genomic surveillance system for SARS-CoV-2 infections.
In order to promote the exchange of experiences and stimulate reflection, a series of webinars is planned on topics of interest to the AFROSCREEN project. The first of these webinars was held by Dr Christophe Rodriguez, head of the platform for the characterization of microbial genomes by high-throughput sequencing at the CHU Henri Mondor.
Dr. Rodriguez spoke about the technical aspects of genomic surveillance, but also about the organizational aspects of the EMERGEN project (Consortium for surveillance and research on EMERging pathogens infections via microbial GENomics). The EMERGEN project, coordinated by Santé publique France and the ANRS | Maladies infectieuses émergentes, aims to deploy a genomic surveillance system for SARS-CoV-2 infections throughout France.
Dr. Rodriguez pointed out that sequence production represents only 10% of the surveillance system, and that 90% of the surveillance effort is represented by the organization to be put in place upstream and downstream of sequencing.
Dr Rodriguez also recalled the importance of sharing data for their use in public health decision-making and to fuel research, and at the same time the importance of recognizing the fundamental scientific role of platforms that produce sequencing data and feed them into international databases.
Dr Rodriguez insisted in particular on the fact that surveillance only makes sense if done together, in order to be able to detect signals quickly, anywhere in the world, and to try to extinguish them before they become pandemics. Dr Rodriguez concluded by declaring that it is exhilarating to participate in the adventure that is the constitution of a global surveillance network by bringing our own stone to the building.
To find out more, find:
- – Dr Rodriguez’s presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKHNWj1d4gw
- – Information on the EMERGEN consortium: https://www.anrs.fr/fr/emergences/covid-19/projet-emergen
In order to promote the exchange of experiences and stimulate reflection, a series of webinars is planned on topics of interest to the AFROSCREEN project. The first of these webinars was held by Dr Christophe Rodriguez, head of the platform for the characterization of microbial genomes by high-throughput sequencing at the CHU Henri Mondor.
Dr. Rodriguez spoke about the technical aspects of genomic surveillance, but also about the organizational aspects of the EMERGEN project (Consortium for surveillance and research on EMERging pathogens infections via microbial GENomics). The EMERGEN project, coordinated by Santé publique France and the ANRS | Maladies infectieuses émergentes, aims to deploy a genomic surveillance system for SARS-CoV-2 infections throughout France.
Dr. Rodriguez pointed out that sequence production represents only 10% of the surveillance system, and that 90% of the surveillance effort is represented by the organization to be put in place upstream and downstream of sequencing.
Dr Rodriguez also recalled the importance of sharing data for their use in public health decision-making and to fuel research, and at the same time the importance of recognizing the fundamental scientific role of platforms that produce sequencing data and feed them into international databases.
Dr Rodriguez insisted in particular on the fact that surveillance only makes sense if done together, in order to be able to detect signals quickly, anywhere in the world, and to try to extinguish them before they become pandemics. Dr Rodriguez concluded by declaring that it is exhilarating to participate in the adventure that is the constitution of a global surveillance network by bringing our own stone to the building.
To find out more, find:
- – Dr Rodriguez’s presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKHNWj1d4gw
- – Information on the EMERGEN consortium: https://www.anrs.fr/fr/emergences/covid-19/projet-emergen