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Data Releases

Canadian iMicroSeq Data Portal

The iMicroSeq Data Portal is an inclusive, Canadian database of microbial (including viral) sequences, and associated harmonized contextual metadata. This Data Portal integrates DNA and RNA-associated data from clinical and environmental sources, including wastewater, to monitor and understand the evolution and spread of microbes and viruses, and respond to threats, affecting public health, agriculture, aquaculture, and the environment.

Impact on Canadians

Genomic-based tracking and analysis of microbes, including viruses, across Canada provides critical information for:

  • Early detection of emerging pathogens and outbreaks.
  • Accurate microbial detection methods.
  • Understanding transmission dynamics of infectious diseases.
  • Improving detection, source attribution, surveillance, and control strategies.
  • Enhancing public health decisions through real-time data integration.
  • Monitoring antimicrobial resistance trends and variant evolution, relevant for public health and agriculture.
  • Modeling microbial changes in the environment needed for environmental risk assessment and predicting climate change impacts.

Why Sequence Microbes, including Viruses?

image representing the three steps of DNA sequencing
Identify and track transmission trends of microbes at the regional, provincial, national, and international scales.
Aid detection of new disease clusters, outbreaks, and environmental impacts or benefits.
Discover evolving microbe characteristics that might impact public health, agriculture, and the environment.
logo for Viral AI

Genome Canada has also partnered with DNAstack to share VirusSeq data on Viral AI , a federated network for genomic variant surveillance and infectious disease research. Viral AI was designed to deliver equitable access to software infrastructure, accelerate international data sharing, and empower scientists and public health officials with globally representative datasets they need to mitigate current and future infectious disease outbreaks.

Explore VirusSeq Data on Viral AI