UK creates COVID-19 genome sequencing alliance for large scale analysis of the virus; Oxford Nanopore sequencing technology supports rapid sequencing capabilities in the network
The UK has formed a genome sequencing alliance, to enable rapid, broad, large-scale sequencing analysis of samples from patients testing positive for COVID-19. The resulting data will help deliver insights into how the virus is transmitted and how it evolves.
Oxford Nanopore is delighted to support participating teams across the UK in this project, including in the cities of Birmingham, London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Sheffield, Liverpool, Cardiff and Cambridge. Nanopore sequencing can deliver a whole genome sequence of the virus in as little as 7 hours, on the portable MinION or desktop GridION devices.
The ARTIC network has been key to enabling rapid sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the UK and globally. Since releasing methods that were compatible with nanopore sequencing in January 2020, the ARTIC protocol has been used for rapid sequence generation, originally in China and now all over the world.
Oxford Nanopore’s MinION device has also been used in other viral outbreaks including Lassa Fever, Swine flu, yellow fever, and in outbreaks caused by bacterial or fungal pathogens. ARTIC’s previous development of rapid protocols and methods for viral sequencing have previously been used in multiple outbreaks including Zika in Brazil and Ebola in Guinea/DRC.
Oxford Nanopore is supporting many groups around the world in their COVID-19 genomics. A range of work is underway including whole genome sequencing, metagenomic analysis and direct RNA sequencing. If you would like more information you can contact us at the Oxford Nanopore COVID-19 information page or read more about the community’s work here.
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About Oxford Nanopore Technologies
Oxford Nanopore’s goal is to enable the analysis of any living thing, by anyone, anywhere. The Company has developed the world's first and only nanopore DNA sequencing platform, which is uniquely scalable from pocket-sized formats through to ultra-high throughput devices. The technology offers real-time data analysis for rapid, dynamic insights; the ability to sequence any length fragments of DNA or RNA, whether short or ultra-long, and the ability to sequence native molecules for rich data that includes real-time epigenetic data.
The technology is currently being used in 100 countries, by researchers in human, plant, animal, microbiological or environmental genetics, as well as increasingly in applied market applications such as healthcare or food safety. www.nanoporetech.com
