A new collaboration between The Pandemic Institute (TPI) and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), is set to fund vital research into emerging infectious diseases. The initiative will bring together researchers from both organisations with the aim of strengthening the UK’s ability to detect, understand and combat known and emerging pathogens.

The collaboration will build on a shared goal of both organisations to understand and reduce the risks of known and new infections. Bringing together experts in infectious diseases and pandemic research from different organisations is essential for improving the UK’s ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from these threats. This collaboration will support several research projects which will draw on the expertise of both organisations, including developing new diagnostic tests, evaluating new therapeutics and using cutting edge technology to better understand viral pathogens.

Nine projects are being funded in total, one of which will use artificial intelligence to predict virus-host interactions, aiding the development of new diagnostics and therapeutics. Dr Femi Olorunniji, Reader in Synthetic Biology at Liverpool John Moores University, highlighted its potential: “By applying AI, we can accelerate the process of discovering how viruses interact with human cells, making it easier to develop targeted treatments and stop infections in their tracks.”

Professor Tom Solomon CBE, Director of The Pandemic Institute, emphasised the importance of the collaboration: “The recent global health crises have shown us that we must be proactive rather than reactive when dealing with infectious threats. This collaboration with Dstl will ensure that we are at the forefront of scientific innovation, developing tools that could be crucial in preventing future pandemics.”

Dr Stuart Perkins, Programme Manager at Dstl stated: ‘This joint programme encourages and supports our scientists to work within national multidiscipline teams and will allow Dstl to access novel tools and products, being developed within academia, that could be utilised within the defence and security arena. It generates value for money and ensures cohesion across defence and academic research. The programme strengthens Dstl’s mission to ensure our armed forces maintain operational effectiveness at all times, even in the event they were exposed to infectious agents’.

The partnership between TPI and Dstl represents an exciting step forward in pandemic preparedness, ensuring that the UK remains at the cutting edge of infectious disease research. You can find a full list of funded projects here.