News
New study shows COVID-19 genomic recombination is uncommon but disproportionately occurs in spike protein region
August 11, 2022 | UCSC
An analysis of millions of SARS-CoV-2 genomes finds that recombination of the virus is uncommon, but when it occurs, it is most often in the spike protein region, the area which allows the virus to attach to and infect host cells.
The team behind a tree of 10 million Covid sequences
June 21, 2022 | UCSC
10 million sequences of COVID-19’s genomic code have now been organized into a phylogenetic tree in the UC Santa Cruz SARS-CoV-2 Browser, which is the largest tree of genomic sequences of a single species ever assembled. This accomplishment is impressive for both the computer engineering feat of processing such a massive amount of data and the incredible dedication and coordination of the researchers involved.
April 04, 2022 | UCSC
As COVID-19 continues to mutate, software developed and maintained at the University of California, Santa Cruz’s Genomics Institute will now be at the core of the primary tool used by health officials worldwide to track the spread of variants in their community. It is now the default software behind the ubiquitously used tool Pangolin, replacing previous software to more accurately assign genomic samples of COVID-19 to a known branch on the virus’s family tree.
UCSC signs $3M state contract to deliver a public health data platform for pathogen genomics
September 02, 2021 | UCSC
UC Santa Cruz is drawing on its expertise in genomics and data sharing to lead a new, state-sponsored public health program. In an agreement signed August 18, 2021, UCSC will develop tools designed to benefit California residents by overlaying SARS-CoV-2 genomic data with public health information.
New tools enable rapid analysis of coronavirus sequences and tracking of variants
May 10, 2021 | UCSC
The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred genomic surveillance of viruses on an unprecedented scale, as scientists around the world use genome sequencing to track the spread of new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The rapid accumulation of viral genome sequences presents new opportunities for tracing global and local transmission dynamics, but analyzing so much genomic data is challenging.
UCSC’s Million-COVID-Genome Tree Could be a First
April 13, 2021 | UCSC Genomic Institute
Early in the pandemic, UCSC knew they wanted to help researchers tracking the virus. During the 2013 Ebola outbreak, the seasoned Browser team had used their coding skills to build a virus browser. Since Ebola, a new era of fast, cheap sequencing has created a mountain of genomic data, changing the research landscape. Traditional display code just wouldn’t keep pace with this novel coronavirus.
