Microbes are highly adaptive and can evolve rapidly, acquiring new virulence traits or evolving resistance to therapeutic drugs. Pathogens such as Ebola Virus can move from zoonotic sources into the human population, causing epidemic disease and challenging health care systems. The Centre’s focus on pathogen evolution makes these challenges a central component of our research efforts.
We have experts working on emerging pathogens, in both a veterinary and human context and we work closely with sites in the field using molecular surveillence as a key tool. The emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a particular challenge. Indeed AMR has been identified as a major threat to human health by the UK Chief Medical Officer and several of our groups work in this area. Find links to some of our programmes in these areas below.
Genotype to Phenotype Research
Image: Flu virus released from an infected cell. Credit: David Goulding, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute