The virus proficiency test (PT) within the COMPARE network aims to contribute to the harmonization and standardization of high-throughput sequencing (HTS), with the main goal to improve the detection, identification and analysis of viral pathogens in diagnostic samples.
The participant's proficiency in identification and analysis of viral pathogens in complex samples and HTS datasets will be evaluated in three general parts of the virus PT: (1) the laboratory's proficiency to analyze HTS data and identify viral pathogens, (2a) the laboratory's sample preparation and sequencing procedures and (2b) the laboratory's high-throughput sequencing performance and output.
Therefore you will be invited to (1) analyze a complex metagenomic fastq dataset to identify viral sequences, (2a) perform purification, DNA/RNA extraction, library preparation and sequencing of different virus strains within a complex sample matrix and (2b) perform library preparation and sequencing of pre-prepared viral RNA/DNA.
Application will be open from 16.09.16 to 16.10.16 with optional sign-up for bioinformatics data analysis and wet-lab sequencing of viral RNA/DNA and strains. Sequence data for the bioinformatics analysis can be downloaded from the RKI-share site upon application. For wet-lab sequencing, samples will be sent in the first week of November.
Please follow the link:
https://befragungen.rki.de/SE/1/CompareRegistration/
Don't forget do click submit at the end of the survey!
For more information, see the document or contact us (NitscheA@RKI.de, BrinkmannA@RKI.de )
Annika Brinkmann and Andreas Nitsche