Role of Integrative Genomics Surveillance in Viruses Understanding for Efficient Vaccine Development

Dear Colleagues

Viruses are diverse in terms of genome size and genetic backbone (DNA/RNA), dynamic in terms of evolving variants (variants of concern, variants of interest) and cause differential disease manifestations (mild, moderate, severe) in infected individuals. This has been highlighted more than ever before during the COVID-19 pandemic, which challenged global public health, medical and healthcare support. However, at the same time, genomic surveillance has greatly aided and augmented shared learning of the different facets of the virus with a functional role in clinical outcome (recovered/mortality). It greatly helped the development of a vaccine with the aim of preventing infection or milder disease severity if infected. As we prepare for potential future pandemics, the combination of pre-emptive pathogen surveillance and equitable vaccination strategy may be a step towards timely collective response for virus/es of concern. Genomic surveillance holds the potential to also discover/detect the secondary infections that may be modulating the disease severity and outcome, in addition to understanding the instances of vaccination breakthroughs in a subset of vaccinated individuals. Taken together, genomics-based insights would augment vaccination efficacy and refine the strategy (if required), taking into account the evolution of the virus captured through genomic surveillance.

The Special Issue aims at bringing together different aspects of genomics-based research through a combination of original research and review articles.

• Viral genome features;
• Differential immune escape potentials of VOCs by the presence of specific mutations;
• Vaccination strategies—strengths and limitations;
• Future strategies;
• Role of modulators, such as the co-presence of other microbes.

Dr. Rajesh Pandey
Guest Editor

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• vaccination
• viruses
• genomics
• variants
• disease
• COVID