SENSIBLE: Implementing Data-Driven Early Warning Systems for Future Viral Epidemics

In March 2020, COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, spurring intense research efforts. Genomic surveillance emerged as a crucial defense against the virus. Variants of concern arise from epidemiologically relevant mutations, posing challenges in disease control. Global pandemics are exacerbated by habitat loss, urbanization, and globalization, facilitating disease spread. The SENSIBLE project, supported by the Italian Ministry of University and Research through NextGeneration EU funding, aims to develop methods for analyzing viral genomes and implement early warning information systems based on data-driven analysis, exploiting data from past epidemics for validation. SENSIBLE will create an integrated framework for genomic surveillance, utilizing data-driven and knowledge-based analyses. By leveraging knowledge from COVID-19, it seeks to enhance understanding of viral pathogens and aid healthcare decision-making.