EpiSars

Development of tools to understand the dynamics of infection by SARS-CoV-2, and for other potential pathogens in the future, through the methodology of epidemiology based on the analysis of wastewater.

The EpiSars project optimizes molecular methodologies for the monitoring and evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater from different sources, such as hospitals, residences or livestock production. The new solutions promoted by the project contribute in the short term to the control and prevention of coronavirus transmission, to the identification of emerging strains, to the surveillance of virus circulation and the impact of the vaccine, thus improving health public tools.

EpiSars is one of the 36 projects financed by “La Marató de TV3” of 2020 and has the participation of the Eurecat Omic Sciences Unit, an expert in R&D and responsible for the activities of detection of new variants of the virus through massive sequencing of this project.

The project consortium is made up of the Laboratory of Viruses Contaminants of Water and Food of the University of Barcelona (UB-VIRCONT), coordinating entity of the project, together with the Laboratory of Computational Genomics of the UB (UB-COMPGEN) and by the Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA). In addition, the consortium has the external collaborations of the Institute for Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA of the CSIC), the KWR Water Research Institute and the National Insitutes of Health (NIH).