Genomics England Limited: against COVID-19 ^Company

Entity: Genomics England Limited

Category: COVID Research

Description: Genomics England is a wholly owned company of the UK Department of Health set up to deliver the 100,000 Genomes Project. It was made possible by the National Institute for Health Research, NHS England, Public Health England, and Health Education England. Genomics England sequences 100,000 whole genomes from NHS patients and their families. Its four main aims include bringing benefit to patients, creating an ethical and transparent program based on consent, supporting new scientific discovery and medical insights, and kick-starting the development of the U.K. genomics industry. Genomics England is focusing on patients with rare diseases, and their families, as well as patients with common cancers. It was announced by Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health, as part of the NHS 65th birthday celebrations in 2013. It is based in London, England.

1. Project: COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) Consortium

Summary: Genomics England Limited is supporting the project 'COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) Consortium'. The COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) Consortium aims to increase the current capacity for SARS-CoV-2 genetic sequencing in the UK. This sequencing data will be used to understand the epidemiology and spread of the virus, and to monitor and evaluate interventions for COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 genomic data will be integrated with NHS electronic health records and other existing genomic data to generate insights into susceptibility to COVID-19. From within the DPHPC, Professor John Danesh is a member of the COG-UK Steering Group, Dr Ewan Harrison will serve as the Scientific Project Manager and Dr Michael Chapman will lead the health informatics component.

Contributor: Professor Sir Mark Caulfield, Chief Scientist.

+ Members:

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Regional Virus Laboratory
Cardiff University
EMBL-EBI (European Bioinformatics Institute)
Genomics England Limited
Genomics Partnership Wales
Advanced Research Computing at Cardiff
Supercomputing Wales
Public Health Wales NHS Trust
Imperial College London
MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research
Public Health Agency
Public Health England
Public Health Scotland
PHW Pathogen Genomics Unit
Quadram Institute
Queen's University Belfast
The Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance
University College London
University of Birmingham
Queen's University Belfast, Genomics Core Technology Unit
Francis Crick Institute
University of Edinburgh
University of Exeter
Northumbria University
University of Nottingham
University of Oxford
Big Data Institute
University of Portsmouth
Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust
University of Sheffield
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Wellcome Sanger Institute
West of Scotland Specialist Virology Centre
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
University of Cambridge:
Department of Veterinary Medicine
Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Department of Medicine
Division of Virology, Department of Pathology;
Department of Pathology
Cambridge Institute for Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease

2. Project: GenOMICC Consortium

Summary: Genomics England's team is making COVID tests for epidemiological survey, biomedical research and genomic sequencing. GE is working in partnership with the GenOMICC consortium and the NHS to deliver whole genome sequencing of up to 20,000 people who have been severely affected by COVID-19 – requiring intensive care – and 15,000 people who had mild symptoms. This study aims to find out whether there are genetic factors that mean that some people experience severe symptoms whilst others experience only mild symptoms.

3. Project: The COVID-19 Host Genetics

Summary: Genomics England's UK 100,000 Genomes Project is part of the international project 'The COVID-19 Host Genetics'.

Investigators: Mark Caulfield, Richard Scott, Tom Fowler, Augusto Rendon