Author: Sharon Peacock
(MENAFN - The Conversation) The UK is a world leader in sequencing SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Of all the coronavirus genomes that have been sequenced in the world, nearly half have been sequenced by COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium (Cog-UK). The consortium began life on March 4 when Sharon Peacock, a professor of public health and microbiology at the University of Cambridge, emailed a handful of scientists and asked for their help. The Conversation spoke to Professor Peacock about that day and what happened after. Q: When did you first get the idea to set up Cog-UK? And how was it formed?
Lizzie Meadows is Biorepository Project Manager at the Quadram Institute on Norwich Research Park
- Credit: Lizzie Meadows
Lizzie Meadows, Biorepository Project Manager at the Quadram Institute on Norwich Research Park, explains how her work project managing a library of human tissue samples is contributing to the national effort against Covid-19.
Lizzie loves the mountains and has trekked the Himalayas
- Credit: Lizzie Meadows
Each month, those working at the pioneering heart of Norwich Research Park tell us how their work is shaping the world we live in. Read their stories here.
What does your role involve?
I am responsible for project managing Norwich Research Park’s Biorepository to create a state-of-the-art, world-class facility. I lead teams from the Quadram Institute, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) and University of East Anglia (UEA). I also provide project management support to the Quadram Institute’s genome sequencing team who are contributing
UK s Covid outbreak continues to shrink with 15,144 more infections and 758 deaths as SAGE says R rate has dropped below 1 for first time since July - and even Professor Lockdown believes this may be the final shutdown
Department of Health bosses declared another 15,144 coronavirus infections in the UK down 21% in a week
It means 4million Britons have tested positive since the pandemic began but true toll will be much higher
Another 758 lab-confirmed fatalities were also added to the official toll a drop of 25 per cent on last Friday
And in more good news, data shows 14million Britons have now received their first dose of a Covid vaccine
The UK is a world leader in sequencing SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Of all the coronavirus genomes that have been sequenced in the world, nearly half have been sequenced by COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium (Cog-UK). The consortium began life on March 4 when Sharon Peacock, a professor of public health and microbiology at the University of Cambridge, emailed a handful of scientists and asked for their help. The Conversation spoke to Professor Peacock about that day and what happened after.
Q: When did you first get the idea to set up Cog-UK? And how was it formed?
In late February 2020, it dawned on me that we were going to need genome sequencing capabilities across the UK for the novel coronavirus. It was predictable that the virus was going to develop mutations that could become problematic.