Accelerating the Use of Pathogen Genomics and Metagenomics in Public Health

The NASEM Forum in Microbial Threats will host a public workshop 22-23 July 2024 on Accelerating the Use of Pathogen Genomics and Metagenomics in Public Health.   to examine cases where genomics technologies have been applied successfully to disease surveillance and response, highlight key characteristics of these technologies’ impact, and identify potential opportunities for broader adoption in public health.

High-throughput and increasingly affordable genome sequencing technologies have enabled the use of pathogen genomics and metagenomics as powerful data-driven disease surveillance approaches. These epidemiological tools have been critical in addressing emerging outbreaks and evolving pathogens from foodborne infections to SARS-CoV-2. This workshop will examine opportunities to integrate the use of pathogen genomics tools and techniques more broadly into the public health system to improve the rapidity and effectiveness of surveillance and response to diseases.

Agenda items include:

• Current State of Pathogen Genomics in the U.S. Public Health System
• Applications of Pathogen Genomics in Public Health – State Level, National Level
• Genomic Surveillance for Antimicrobial Resistance
• Genomic Sequencing to Inform Therapeutic Usage
• Pathogen Genomics for Outbreak Epidemiology
• Applications of Pathogen Genomics in H5N1 Outbreak
• Current State of Infrastructure and Interoperability of Pathogen Genomics Data in the U.S
• Integration of Data Streams to Augment Genomic Data
• PHA4GE Data Standards System and Structure – Application in South Africa
• Data Processing Structures and Determining the Value of Sequenced Data
• Considerations for Sovereignty and Governance of Pathogen Genomics Data on an International Scale
• Democratization Efforts and Integration of Alternate Data Systems
• Applications for New Pathogen Detection and Limitations of Genomics Data
• Pathogen Genomics in the Future of Public Health

Register to attend online or in person here.

Source: National Academies of Sciences