Our project Small-data Early warNing System for viral pathogens In puBLic hEalth (SENSIBLE), born as a collaboration between my research group (Anna Bernasconi, project’s PI) at the Department of Electronics, Information, and Bioengineering (Politecnico di Milano) and the group of Prof. Matteo Chiara (co-PI) at Department of Biosciences (University of Milano) has received funding for ~240K Euros.

SENSIBLE aims to address the following three objectives that are tightly linked with the project concept and methodology: 1) Derive effective methods for data-driven identification of emerging viral pathogens; 2) Build an objective framework for genomic surveillance in current and future epidemics; and 3) Implement an early warning system, to assist decision making in healthcare.

The two research units will liaise on the three objectives of SENSIBLE, by co-designing methods for the data-driven identification of emerging viral pathogens, building the genomic surveillance framework, and implementing the early warning system.

Our units leverage on a long-standing collaboration based on our interest in common topics, addressed from complementary perspectives – allowing an organic approach to research. Our joint work has already produced ViruClust, an application for comparing SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequences and lineages in space; VariantHunter, which monitors the evolution of mutations and indicates possible emerging variants; and RecombinHunt, a method for identifying recombination events in different viral species.

Matteo and myself both teach and are part of the Study Council in the Master degree program on ‘Bioinformatics for Computational Genomics’ offered jointly by University of Milan and Politecnico di Milano.

See main page here https://annabernasconi.faculty.polimi.it/project-sensible/.