Serbia's genome center monitors potential virus mutations to facilitate more effective COVID-19 control
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Loading... - Heather Craven
- 19 Aug 2022
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In partnership with BGI Genomics from China, Serbia's first genome sequencing center, opened in December 2021, is monitoring potential virus mutations to facilitate more effective COVID-19 control and accelerating access to genomics to enhance health outcomes.
The Serbian Genome Sequencing and Bio-informatics Center, located within the Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering (IMGGE), seeks to develop and enhance its genomic analysis, whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS) capabilities. Serbia has invested in the construction and infrastructure of this Center while BGI Genomics has donated equipment such as a genomic sequencer and sent a team of five Chinese technical experts to train their Serbian counterparts over eight months.
This Center is actively following any new variants of COVID-19 which appear in Serbia, without reliance on overseas laboratories. Genomic sequencing of new variants can be completed within 48 hours, which is important for treatment of coronavirus patients and undertake more effective public health measures.
In addition to a COVID-19 sequencing line, there are three other sequencing product lines in the Center. One of these product lines focuses on prenatal diagnostics which facilitates DNA-based non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) – which involves comprehensive screening for fetal aneuploidy, a condition where the fetus has one or more extra or missing chromosomes, twin pregnancy, and pregnancies with a history of trisomy, or in-vitro fertilization.
On July 12, 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that new waves demonstrate the COVID-19 pandemic "is nowhere near over". On the same day, the WHO Science Council released its inaugural report urging countries to scale up genomic sequencing to enhance health outcomes. Read More…
