Clinical Characterisation and Biobanking
The University of Liverpool hosts the UK’s COVID-19 biobank, supported by awards from Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Department of Health and Social Care, National Institute for Health Research (DHSC NIHR), working in collaboration with International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) on its ISARIC-4C study. The University of Liverpool is curating the UK’s biobank of samples from patients with COVID-19, which will be available to researchers all over the country.
COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium
A team from the University of Liverpool have joined the consortium, to map how COVID-19 spreads and behaves by using whole genome sequencing. A £20 million investment will help the consortium look for breakthroughs to help the UK respond to this and future pandemics, and ultimately save lives.
Diagnostics
The FASTER diagnostics programme at the Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine will enrol patients suspected of COVID-19 for diagnostic evaluation. We are interested in point-of-care diagnostics for the UK and low and middle income (LMIC) settings. Investigators are also researching potential small molecule biomarkers and prognostic biomarkers.
Drug Discovery
Drug discovery and development programmes are underway, using new and repurposed compound libraries in the Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, with the aim to rapidly identify drug candidates for onward clinical evaluation at sites both in the UK and overseas.
Epidemiology and Public Health Informatics
Combined Intelligence for Public Health Action (CIPHA) and the Liverpool City Region Civic Data Cooperative are developing innovative control measures such as smart social distancing and symptom monitoring. Clinical epidemiology projects include transmission of SARS-CoV-2 among healthcare workers and psychological resilience interventions for health and social care workers.
Pathogen Biology
Researchers can grow and store SARS-CoV-2 for experimental studies. Real-time sequencing enables rapid contact tracing, assessment as to whether SARS-CoV-2 is evolving and whether the sequence has an impact on the severity of disease, developing a better understanding of host risk factors for acquiring the virus and advancing to severe disease.
Therapeutics, Early Phase Clinical Trials and Pharmacokinetics-Pharmacodynamics
Hollow fibre infection models are being progressed to assess new antiviral compounds. Clinical protocols are in development to test experimental therapies for COVID-19. Clinical trials are supported by Good Clinical Practice (GCP) bioanalytical capabilites and PK-PD modelling. Prescribing resources to support clinical trials of experimental COVID-19 therapies have also been developed.
Vaccines
Liverpool’s expertise in vaccines are being deployed to develop and test new vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 based on technology recently established to make a Zika vaccine.
Viral Dynamics and Protective Immunity
A community-based project is being developed to study viral transmission, determinants of protective immunity, potential for re-infection, and behavioural determinants of transmission. We are also studying the role of cellular immune responses in severe COVID-19, in collaboration with the University of Sheffield, Imperial College London and the University of Oxford.
Knowledge Mobilisation, Public and Community Involvement
Social science research is focussing on the wellbeing of healthcare workers and the general public; understanding how individuals, communities and health care systems perceive risk. We're developing effective communication strategies for public and policy understanding of disease transmission and prevention, supporting the development of resilient populations and wider socio-economic systems.
Funding awarded to 22 COVID-19 research projects
Find out about the exciting new projects positioning Liverpool at the forefront of the response to COVID-19.