Developing tools for outbreak response: from lineage assignment to epidemiological impact

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing amounts of genomic data from the SARS-CoV-2 have become available to researchers and public health officials around the world. Analysing the genetic code of virus samples allows researchers to classify them and track how they spread. My project will focus on developing tools for classifying viruses and tracking their spread. A good classification tool should be able to sort virus samples quickly and accurately. As part of the project, I will design and test a tool for classifying SARS-CoV-2 viruses, aiming to create a tool that is faster and more accurate than existing tools. I will then aim to extend this to other viruses. This will involve a computational-based approach, using publicly- available virus sequences to test the performance of the tool. The tools developed as part of the project will have impact in a scientific and public health context. Accurately sorting viruses allows researchers and public health officials to track their spread, monitor new variants and understand their evolution. My project aims to build a tool that will assist in these objectives, while producing insights into viral evolution.