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SUMMARY:Spotting the next pandemic: prospecting or preparedness? - Eddie H
 olmes (University of Sydney)
DTSTART:20200910T083000Z
DTEND:20200910T091500Z
UID:TALK150850@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:INI IT
DESCRIPTION:Zoonotic diseases have long been a major burden on human socie
 ties and are expected to increase in frequency and impact as we interact m
 ore with the animal world and as the global population increases in both s
 ize and productivity. Fortunately\, new genomic tools\, particularly metag
 enomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS)\, provide a uniquely powerful mea
 ns to rapidly reveal the microbial composition of any sample without bias\
 , provide key information on the diversity\, structure and evolution of th
 e virosphere\, help determine how microbes move across the human-animal in
 terface and the drivers of disease emergence\, and reveal the origins of s
 pecific epidemics. Herein\, I demonstrate the utility of mNGS for pathogen
  discovery and understanding disease emergence on clinically actionable ti
 me-scales. In doing so\, I will demonstrate how these genomic tools can fo
 rm a key component to new approaches to pandemic preparedness. As a case s
 tudy will focus on the initial emergence of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) at the e
 nd of 2019. I will discuss the most likely theories for its origin and eme
 rgence\, and consider why coronaviruses seem particularly able to jump spe
 cies boundaries and emerge in new hosts. I will conclude by outlining the 
 ways in which we can potentially prevent pandemics like that of COVID-19 e
 ver happening again.<br><br><br><br><br>
LOCATION:Seminar Room 1\, Newton Institute
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