Title: Pan-Genomic Approaches for Viral Pathogen Detection and Discovery

Presenter: Charles Chiu, Assistant Professor

University: University of California, San Francisco，Director, UCSF-Abbott Viral Diagnostics and Discovery Center

Time: 10:00-11:30, May 27, 2013

Venue: Room E120, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Abstract: Pan-genomic diagnostic strategies, including the use of highly multiplexed microarrays and unbiased next-generation sequencing (NGS), enable broad-based detection and discovery of viruses in clinical samples. These technologies have allowed the prospect of rapid identification of pathogens in outbreaks, discovery of novel pathogens in illnesses of unknown origin, clinical diagnostics, and monitoring and surveillance of infectious diseases at the global level. Routine use by clinical and research laboratories, however, has been hampered by the genetic diversity of viral pathogens, computational bottlenecks in analysis of massive datasets, and ongoing challenges in data interpretation. We have recently developed an automated, ultra-rapid computational pipeline for pathogen detection and discovery with a ~24 hr sample-to-answer turnaround time. Some direct applications of the pan-genomics approach include influenza surveillance, discovery of novel viruses in ticks and mosquito vectors, and investigation of outbreaks from hantavirus and Bas-Congo rhabdovirus, a newly characterized hemorrhagic fever virus in humans.