Pandemic Laboratory Preparedness (PLP) Program
SciLifeLab (Science for Life Laboratory) was commissioned by the Swedish govenment to prepare resources and capabilities that can be used to deal with future pandemics. The assignment broadly involved supporting research related to infectious diseases (e.g. in diagnostics, analysis of infection, immunity, and the development of resistance to therapies in pathogens), and building competence and developing technologies related to pandemic research (e.g. in sequencing, genetic analysis, immunology, and big data).
The Pandemic Laboratory Preparedness (PLP) program was established as a result of the commission from the government in December 2020. The services, tools, and resources (termed ‘capabilities’) established through the PLP program are intended to complement those established elsewhere in society (e.g. authorities, municipalities and regions) when tackling future pandemics. As such, the PLP program will work closely with governmental agencies, e.g. Swedish Public Health Agency (FoHM).
The first call from the PLP program was released in February 2021. The first eight capabilities were selected for support in July 2021. The program now supports over 20 capabilities and technology development projects, with more expected in 2023. To see more about the PLP program and the capabilities resulting from it, see our pandemic preparedness resources page.
BY-COVID (BeYond COVID)
BY-COVID (BeYond COVID) project is a European initiative aiming to enhance pandemic preparedness and future infectious disease response through the development and integration of open, interoperable data resources. The project is funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme and coordinated by ELIXIR, in collaboration with a broad network of European research infrastructures and public health institutions that brings together 53 partners from 19 countries.
The BeYond-COVID (BY-COVID) project aims to make COVID-19 data accessible to anyone that can use it, including medical staff in hospitals, researchers in labs, and government officials. The project will provide a framework for making data from other infectious diseases open and accessible to everyone. The project will integrate established national and European infrastructures with ELIXIR, BBMRI, ECRIN, PHIRI and CESSDA. It will build on existing efforts, such as the COVID-19 Data Platform and the Versatile Emerging infectious disease Observatory project (VEO), in order to maximise efficiency. It will also develop synergies with the European Health Data Space.
Members of the Portal team are involved in the development of the Infectious Disease Toolkit, a major deliverable of the BY-COVID project. For more information about the project see the official BY-COVID website.
SciLifeLab & Wallenberg National Program for Data-Driven Life Science
Life science research is rapidly becoming more data-driven. As the volume and complexity of data grows exponentially, the effective management of data throughout its lifecycle becomes ever more important. To address this, SciLifeLab and The Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation launched the Data-Driven Life Science (DDLS) program in Sweden. This program focuses on recruiting and training the next generation of life scientists whilst building data science capabilities that will position Sweden at the forefront of life sciences globally. Coordinated by SciLifeLab with ten Swedish universities and the Swedish Museum of Natural History, the DDLS program benefits from 12 years of funding from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.The DDLS program is structured around four strategically focused research areas: Cell and Molecular Biology (hosted by Chalmers University of Technology), Evolution and Biodiversity (hosted by Uppsala University), Precision Medicine and Diagnostics (hosted by Karolinska Institutet), and Epidemiology and Biology of Infection (hosted by Umeå University). Each research area is supported by a national Data Science Node (DSN) at these institutions. The DSNs connect local research communities with the national DDLS program and SciLifeLab's network. For instance, the Epidemiology and Biology of Infection DSN, hosted at the High-Performance Computing Center North (HPC2N) at Umeå University, contributes to the Swedish Pathogens Portal. The DSN is crucial in reaching out to the Epidemiology and Biology of Infection research community, and in ensuring that their needs are understood and appropriately prioritised. You can read more about the DDLS program on the SciLifeLab website.
Science for Life Laboratory
SciLifeLab (Science for Life Laboratory) is an institution for the advancement of molecular biosciences in Sweden. We are funded as a national research infrastructure by the Swedish government. Our organisation leverages the unique strengths of individual researchers across Sweden into a focused resource for the life science community. Thousands of researchers rely on us to provide access to the cutting-edge instrumentation and deep scientific expertise needed to produce internationally competitive bioscience research. These technologies are supported and developed by our research community, which includes internationally recognised experts in life science and technology. Our facilities and expertise create a unique environment for carrying out health and environmental research at the highest level.
SciLifeLab began in 2010 as a joint effort between four Swedish universities (Karolinska Institutet, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm University and Uppsala University). However, today we have expanded far beyond this, and support research activities at all major Swedish universities.
Scilifelab Data Centre
Life science research is increasingly becoming data-driven, rather than primarily technology-driven. SciLifeLab coordinates and supports activities throughout the data life cycle, from project planning and data production, right through to data publishing and reuse, where researchers are dependent on advanced data analysis and e-infrastructures.
At SciLifeLab, we see data as one of the most valuable and long-lasting products of our operations. We strive to ensure our data adheres to the principles of FAIR and Open Science. We also put considerable effort into maximising the long-term value of our data to the scientific community.