ZiBRA project: real-time sequencing of Zika virus in Brazil

A revolution is occurring in genomic epidemiology. Recently, real-time portable genome sequencing using the Oxford Nanopore MinION device was successfully used to characterize the genetic diversity of the Ebola virus outbreak in Guinea. We are extending this ground-breaking achievement to Zika virus by establishing up the ZiBRA project - a mobile portable genome sequencing laboratory in Brazil. Through collaboration with Instituto Evandro Chagas and Fundação Oswaldo Cruz public health laboratories in Brazil we will perform real-time genomic surveillance of Zika, Chikungunya and dengue viruses, covering a broad geographical region including historical samples, and from patients with a range of clinical presentations. Data will be subject to open release as it is generated with project progress and discussed via the applicants Virological.org forum. This effort will serve as a beacon for open science during a public health emergency.