Panel Presentation: Accelerating SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance with a new high-throughput NGS solution

Since late 2020, several prominent SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern have emerged harboring specific mutations which increase viral transmissibility (e.g., lineage B.1.1.7), and which appear to reduce the efficacy of some current vaccines, (e.g., lineage B.1.351).  As a result, there is a need for rapid scale-up of genomic surveillance, in order to characterize circulating strains and to detect as early as possible the emergence of new, potentially more harmful, variants. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is the most efficient and cost-effective technology for this purpose, given the ability to process multiple samples in parallel, and to sequence the entire viral genome at depth. Nevertheless, current NGS solutions require complex, multi-step workflows, are challenging to automate, and allow limited sample multiplexing. In this webinar, we will describe an accelerated workflow that cuts viral amplification and library preparation in half (to 4 hrs) compared with current ARTIC-based approaches, enables twice the throughput per flowcell lane (multiplexing of up to 768 samples), and significantly reduces plasticware use.  The tiling amplicon design of this solution generates high-yield libraries with superior sequence uniformity and depth of coverage.  We will also discuss how these features may improve NGS analysis of wastewater samples.   During the last portion of this presentation, a special commentary and discussion of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Brazil, including wastewater virus analysis strategies currently being employed, will be given by special guest speaker, Dr. Fernando Spilki, Ph.D., Professor at Feevale University, Novo Hamburgo, Brazil, and President of the Brazilian Society for Virology. Please join us for this insightful event.