Based on its contributions during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the willingness to continue these efforts in a coordinated and sustainable fashion, SIB opens its new dedicated Centre for computational pathogen research and surveillance. Named “Centre for Pathogen Bioinformatics”, this Centre aims to offer expertise and services to the Swiss federal authorities and the global research community, to ensure that Switzerland remains at the forefront of pathogen bioinformatics research and contributes to global pandemic preparedness and response.
Federating efforts on pathogen bioinformatics
This initiative represents a unique opportunity to capitalize on tools developed within SIB’s national network that have demonstrated their usefulness during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Centre offers expertise and services in pathogen bioinformatics to the Swiss federal authorities and research community to ensure that Switzerland remains at the forefront of data management and data analysis required for real-time pathogen surveillance.
Being a global Centre for pathogen bioinformatics research, the Centre will contribute to the pathogen response and public health strategies at both national and international scale.
We envision that the Centre will become a trusted partner of the federal authorities for its current and future surveillance programs.
Initial fundings to support the Centre’s activities
Two grants have recently been obtained to support the launch of the Centre and its activities across all its streams.
- FAIRification of pathogen bioinformatics resources under the Centre for Pathogen Bioinformatics, funded by Swissuniversities Call B3.2. This project will strengthen this ecosystem of resources through increased interoperability and by providing an integrated system for analysis and sharing of pathogen genomic data, thereby fostering genomic epidemiology globally.
- The Pathogen Data Network is a global consortium aiming to provide infrastructure, tools, training, outreach and support to FAIR infectious-diseases data sharing and reuse. It will cover diverse biodata types, including host and pathogen genomics, transcriptomics, proteins, pathways and networks, imaging and cohorts. This project is supported by the National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number U24AI183840. Read the news
A multi-site and multi-group initiative
The Centre is established as a multi-site, delocalized initiative, consisting of a Steering Board, a Focus Group and an Advisory Board.
Initial fundings to support the Centre’s activities
Two grants have recently been obtained to support the launch of the Centre and its activities across all its streams.
- FAIRification of pathogen bioinformatics resources under the Centre for Pathogen Bioinformatics, funded by Swissuniversities Call B3.2. This project will strengthen this ecosystem of resources through increased interoperability and by providing an integrated system for analysis and sharing of pathogen genomic data, thereby fostering genomic epidemiology globally.
- The Pathogen Data Network is a global consortium aiming to provide infrastructure, tools, training, outreach and support to FAIR infectious-diseases data sharing and reuse. It will cover diverse biodata types, including host and pathogen genomics, transcriptomics, proteins, pathways and networks, imaging and cohorts. This project is supported by the National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number U24AI183840. Read the news
- The operational activities of the Centre are led by Aitana Neves (Clinical Bioinformatics) as Managing Director of the Centre. She oversees all the operational activities of the Centre and acts as liaison with other SIB groups and institutions.
- The Steering Board is composed of SIB Group Leaders with resources well-recognized in pathogen bioinformatics and computational molecular epidemiology. It will be initially composed of Aitana Neves, Niko Beerenwinkel (Computational Biology), Richard Neher (Microbial Evolution), Emma Hodcroft (EVE Epidemiology and Virus Evolution) and Tanja Stadler (Computational Evolution). Their mission is to oversee the general strategy, all activities and collaborations of the Centre.
- The Centre’s Advisory Board, composed of national and international experts, will advise on the strategy and work streams, overseeing its alignment with international roadmaps for pandemic molecular surveillance and preparedness. Members will be invited in the fall.
- The Centre’s Focus Group brings together SIB members interested in the activities and mission of the Centre and provides suggestions and feedback to the Steering Board. An invitation to the SIB Community will follow once registrations are open.
As we enter endemic times, it is essential that Swiss infrastructures and tools that have proven to be strategic players during the COVID-19 pandemic are maintained and expanded, while also being rationalized and synergized where possible under a common mission
Expanding strategic resources
The development, maintenance and evolution of bioinformatics pipelines for molecular data and integration is a priority of the initiative. Strategic resources will eventually be developed in a more sustainable and coordinated way, with the Centre acting as a catalyser for novel synergies and projects.
SPSP, Nextstrain, CoVSpectrum, Loculus, CoVariants and V-pipe are amongst the resources developed or co-developed within SIB groups that contribute directly to the mission of the Centre.
