Quadram Institute Bioscience (QIB): against COVID-19 ^Laboratory

Quadram Institute
https://quadram.ac.uk/about/

1.
Quadram Institute is Partner of the global project 'COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) Consortium'
'COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) Consortium' is a collaboration between the NHS, Public Health England and other UK public health agencies, the Wellcome Sanger Institute, University of Cambridge and other academic institutions.

Project: COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) Consortium
Research Group: Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit
Project Description: 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.

Contributors:
Dr Justin O’Grady, Group Leader, Rapid infectious disease and foodborne pathogen diagnosis/detection
Dr Andrew Page, Head of Informatics

https://www.cogconsortium.uk/about/

2.
Quadram Institute researchers working on COVID-19 vaccine join WHO expert groups
https://quadram.ac.uk/quadram-researchers-working-on-covid-19-vaccine-join-who-expert-groups/

Quadram Institute researchers who are working on a new drug delivery method for a COVID-19 vaccine have joined World Health Organization (WHO) expert advisory groups tackling the coronavirus.
Professor Simon Carding of the Quadram Institute and University of East Anglia’s Norwich Medical School has been asked to join WHO’s COVID-19 Expert Advisory Group on vaccine prioritisation and Dr Simon Funnell, of the Quadram Institute and Public Health England, is on the COVID-19 expert advisory group on animal models.
Prof Carding and his co-researchers from the University of Kent and the University of Liverpool are working on a new drug delivery method for COVID-19 vaccines. Professor Mark Smales (University of Kent) sits on WHO’s expert group for assays development for vaccines and Professor James Stewart (University of Liverpool) is on the expert group for animal models.
The three UK-based scientists are working on new approaches for vaccine delivery developed by Quadram Institute Bioscience (QIB) based on engineering the natural ability of resident gut bacteria to generate nanoparticle sized Outer Membrane Vesicles (OMVs). An OMV-based COVID-19 vaccine has now also been included in the WHO landscape of COVID-19 candidate vaccines.
OMV-based vaccines present unique and significant advantages compared to other vaccines. Drug administration is easier and non-invasive, i.e. needle-free, via oral or nasal routes. The vaccine can be easily, rapidly and cost-efficiently adapted and re-formulated to potential virus mutations and different virus subtypes.