Respiratory Virus and Microbiome Initiative (RVI)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Respiratory Virus and Microbiome Initiative (RVI)
IRAS ID
316530
Contact name
Ewan Harrison
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Wellcome Sanger Institute
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
The generation of millions of SARS-CoV-2 genomes (the full virus genetic code) during the COVID-19 pandemic brought the power of routine pathogen genomic surveillance to the fore. Since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, genomic surveillance (monitoring genetic changes in pathogens) has been critical to enabling the rapid determination of transmissibility, severity of disease and tracking of national and international spread.
This has provided the UK and other governments with the ability to make decisions about non-pharmaceutical interventions and vaccination strategy based on near real-time understanding of the biology of the viral populations in the leading edge of infections.
While SARS-CoV-2 and, to some degree influenza A, have been sequenced (genetic code determined) at scale, there has been very limited sequencing of other respiratory viruses, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus, etc. This is because no routine high-throughput sequencing capacity for genomic surveillance exists for other respiratory viruses.
Resultantly, there is limited biological, epidemiological and evolutionary understanding of many respiratory viruses. Such understanding has the potential to improve public health interventions and to provide fundamental knowledge required for the development of vaccines and therapeutics.
The Respiratory Virus and Microbiome Initiative (RVI) is a programme at the Wellcome Sanger Institute (Sanger) in collaboration with the UK Health Security Agency (UK-HSA) which aims to develop next generation sequencing methods for routine genomic surveillance of respiratory viruses and other pathogens, including during a future epidemic/pandemic.
The RVI has a secondary aim of studying respiratory pathogens and the respiratory tract microbiome (the collection of all microbes, such as bacteria, fungi and viruses), evolution and biology, interactions and impact on infectivity and severity of infection.
The ultimate aim of the RVI programme is to deliver a complete end-to-end system, from sample receipt to return of data, that could be used for genomic surveillance of respiratory pathogens in the UK and globally.
REC name
London - Surrey Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/PR/1222
Date of REC Opinion
15 Sep 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion