Gensurv Overview

The Genomic pathogen surveillance in German initiative, also known as "GenSurv," is a public health initiative aimed at monitoring and tracking the spread of infectious diseases in Germany using genomic sequencing technology. The goal of GenSurv is to detect and identify emerging pathogens and outbreaks early, which can help public health officials respond more quickly to contain and control the spread of disease.

GenSurv involves sequencing the genomes of infectious agents, such as viruses and bacteria, found in patient samples collected from hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities across Germany. The genomic data is then analyzed to identify patterns of transmission and genetic changes in the pathogens over time. This information can help researchers and public health officials understand how the disease is spreading, identify potential sources of infection, and develop strategies to prevent and control outbreaks.

Overall, the goal of GenSurv is to improve public health preparedness and response to infectious disease outbreaks in Germany by using genomic sequencing technology to track and monitor the spread of pathogens in real-time.

GenSurv is a collaborative effort between several institutions and organizations in Germany, including the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the National Reference Center for Tropical Pathogens at the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM), and several university and hospital partners.

GenSurv and the Network of University Medicine (NUM)

GenSurv is part of the Network of University Medicine (NUM).

Within the NUM, all 36 German university hospitals are, for the first time, jointly carrying out large-scale interdisciplinary research projects. The network was launched in 2020 to coordinate COVID-19 research across all university hospitals. In the future, the NUM will research further diseases and involve as many partners as possible from medical science, health care, and society.

The NUM focuses in particular on clinical research, the results of which directly support patient care. One major area of NUM activity is the joint collection and use of complex medical research data. To this end, the network has set up research infrastructures with which it is helping to better prepare the German healthcare system for future pandemics and crises.

The NUM is funded by the German Federal Ministries of Education and Research and is coordinated by "Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin."

More information can be found at: https://www.netzwerk-universitaetsmedizin.de.