This “


implementation plan demonstrates the great strides we have already made since the launch of Genome UK, and outlines the actions we are taking to progress key commitments over the next year


“


related health data ensures accurate and quick sharing of research data, which will help to benefit the entire genomics community. The National Institute for Health


Research, Medical Research Council and Wellcome Trust will, over the next five years, provide £4.5m of funding to the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health, ensuring standards are easily accessible and usable by global genomic programmes and data-sharing initiatives, placing the UK at the forefront of secure sharing of international genomic and health- related data. Matt Hancock, the UK’s Health


Secretary at the time of the announcement, said: ‘We will transform the UK into a life sciences superpower. We’ll build on the success story of our life sciences during the pandemic, which has led the world in everything from vaccine development, to finding effective treatments that work, to genomic sequencing. ‘Today we’ve published our Genome UK implementation plan for how we can build on this even further, including our commitment to sequence one million whole genomes. Because genomics saves lives, and I’m determined the UK stays at the forefront of this vital new technology,’ Hancock continued. ‘If we draw on ingenuity like this, we can keep up the fight against Covid-19, and also tackle the other things that stop us living healthier lives like


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cancer, dementia and heart disease. ‘So, we’re increasing UK investment


in research and development, bringing much more of the supply chain onshore, sparing no effort to attract the brightest innovators and the best manufacturers,’ he concluded. Minister for Innovation Lord Bethell


said: ‘The UK has a proud history in developing genetic and genomic technologies, which improve the lives of patients across the country and globally. ‘This implementation plan


demonstrates the great strides we have already made since the launch of Genome UK, and outlines the actions we are taking to progress key commitments over the next year. ‘It is vital that we continue to maintain


and develop our global leadership in this field, to realise the full potential offered by genomics,’ Lord Bethell added. This first phase implementation plan


follows on from Genome UK: the Future of Healthcare published in 2020, which set out a vision to create the most advanced genomic healthcare system in the world, to deliver better healthcare at lower cost.


Genomics is just one example of


the government’s commitment to driving forward health innovation in the UK, which will be central to the future health resilience, the growth of the UK’s life sciences sector and improving patient care. Chris Wigley, Genomics England


CEO, said: ‘Since the days of Darwin, Rosalind Franklin, Crick and Watson, and Fred Sanger, the UK has been at the forefront of genomic science. With this publication it’s exciting to see the next chapter of that story coming to life. Our ecosystem has come together as never before through the difficult times of the pandemic – and this implementation plan will allow us to build on this collaboration between all of the world- leading genomics institutions in the UK.’ Professor Dame Sue Hill, NHS England’s Chief Scientific Officer, said: ‘The NHS is already a global leader in genomics and has introduced a range of new cutting-edge tests for people with rare diseases and cancer over the last year, despite the pandemic. ‘Genomics can truly transform


the way patient care is delivered, helping to predict and prevent disease, personalise treatments and ultimately save lives.’


Understanding Covid-19 In February 2021, the UK’s Covid-19 Genomics UK Consortium (COG UK) launched the COG-UK Mutation Explorer (COG-UK-ME) – an interface that provides access to data on Sars-CoV-2 mutations and variants of interest in the COG-UK genome sequence dataset. COG-UK-ME allows anyone to view information about important changes in the Sars-CoV-2 genome over time. The tool is updated twice weekly,


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