AusTrakka: Fast-tracking nationalized genomics surveillance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 865 - 4
• Main Authors: Hoang, Tuyet, da Silva, Anders Gonçalves, Jennison, Amy V., Williamson, Deborah A., Howden, Benjamin P., Seemann, Torsten
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 14.02.2022; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 45/23; 631/208/212/748; 631/326/1762; 631/326/596/2562; 631/326/596/4130; 692/699/255; Australia - epidemiology; Comment; Computational Biology - methods; Computer applications; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - transmission; COVID-19 - virology; Data retrieval; Demand analysis; Epidemiological Monitoring; Genomics; Genomics - methods; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; multidisciplinary; Pandemics; Pandemics - prevention & control; Pathogens; Patient Identification Systems - methods; Public health; Public Health Surveillance - methods; Real time; Reproducibility of Results; SARS-CoV-2 - physiology; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Australia
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28529-9

The COVID-19 pandemic has driven demand for integrated genomics, resulting in fast-tracked development of AusTrakka, Australia’s pathogen genomics platform. This facilitated rapid data sharing, democratised access to computational and bioinformatic resources and expertise, and achieved national real-time genomic surveillance. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the demand for near real-time analysis and dissemination of pathogen genomic data. In this comment, the authors describe how Australia has developed and rolled out its SARS-CoV-2 genomics platform, AusTrakka, and used it to support public health action.