Sequencing is the technology of choice, when confronted by unknown genetic variability.

The natural diversity of viruses, combined with their high mutability, have positioned Virology at the forefront of applying sequence analysis in a routine manner.

In HIV medicine, sequencing a patient’s virus and using expert rules to infer resistant phenotypes from the viral genotype is long established as the standard of care. Now, deep sequencing technologies enable the identification of viral sub-populations and quasi-species, whose patterns of mutations may be harbingers of emerging resistance to anti-retroviral therapies. Correlating a patient’s disease history with longitudinal analysis of evolving genetic mutations, including re-interpretation of stored sequences, is a powerful model for managing chronic diseases, including cancers.

Those same routine viral sequences can be re-used, to build observational databases of sequences and metadata, enabling epidemiologists to track the evolution of the virus within a given patient cohort, across geographies and time. As the availability of anti-viral regimens increases for other viruses, such as HCV, CMV and Influenza, the incidence of viral resistance will increase, driving more sequence analysis for therapeutic selection and providing data for broad, molecular epidemiological surveillance.

SmartGene’s virus modules are proven for diagnostic monitoring, clinical research and molecular epidemiology applications, keeping users in step with evolving science. Cloud-based and secure, the modules meet local needs and enable collaborative surveillance networks, at regional and national levels.