ACRF Cancer Genomic Facility

30 June 2020

In recent years, pathogen genomics has been an emerging public health response tool, providing improved clarity of how pathogens spread and evolve. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Drs Lex Leong and Ivan Bastian from the Public Health and Epidemiology laboratory in the Microbiology and Infectious Diseases directorate integrated this technology for public health purpose by using the existing sequencing equipment and facilities in the ACRF Cancer Genomic Facility of the Immunology and of the Genetics and Molecular Pathology directorates.

As South Australia faced the COVID-19 pandemic, SA Pathology was able to successfully establish whole genome sequencing of the COVID-19 virus SARS-COV-2 incredibly quickly thanks to MID and the state-of-the-art ACRF Cancer Genomics Facility.

This sequencing has assisted the Department for Health and Wellbeing to solidify the hypothesis on epidemiological clustering, and locating potential sources of infection not previously identified from epidemiological investigation.

SA Pathology continues to provide the state with this diagnostic expertise and cutting edge technology, enabling better informed public health decision making in the possibility of a second wave.

Additionally, the genome sequences have been shared in an international database, GISAID as part of the global response to COVID19.