The first programme in the partnership involves the creation of an ‘early warning system’ for future pandemics. Credit: adriaticfoto via Shutterstock.

Oxford Nanopore has entered a strategic partnership with the UK Government to create a pathogen surveillance system in the National Health Service (NHS).

This initiative, aimed at bolstering biosecurity across as many as 30 NHS sites, brings together UK Biobank, Genomics England, NHS England, and Oxford Nanopore. This “early warning system” is designed to provide real-time insights on emerging threats and safeguard the UK against future pandemics.

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Alongside the surveillance system, the partnership will focus on three additional priority areas: advancing genomic understanding for disease prevention and personalised medicine, translating genomic discoveries into improved NHS patient care, and driving economic growth and workforce development in life sciences.

In disease prevention and personalised medicine, the partnership plans to build on recent NHS initiatives such as a newborn screening study launched last month, which will screen more than 100,000 babies for over 200 rare genetic diseases. By detecting genetic disorders early, the programme aims to provide quicker intervention options.

Announcing the UK’s Budget last week, Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves outlined the Labour Party’s plans for increased investment in research and development (R&D) within the life sciences sector. Reeves pledged an additional £22.6bn in the health budget over two years, alongside a £3.1bn boost in capital investment for the NHS.

The government’s integration of genomics into NHS care aligns with its upcoming ten-year plan that emphasises digital and data-driven healthcare solutions to address the system’s ongoing challenges. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has highlighted the importance of digital transformation for the NHS to be responsive to future health needs.

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In the announcement accompanying this partnership, Streeting said: “If we fail to prepare, we should prepare to fail. Our NHS was already on its knees when the pandemic struck, and it was hit harder than any other comparable healthcare system. We cannot let history repeat itself. That’s why this historic partnership with Oxford Nanopore will ensure our world-leading scientists have the latest information on emerging threats at their fingertips.”

Oxford Nanopore, which spun out of the University of Oxford in 2005, is advancing a new generation of nanopore-based sensing technology. This type of test analyses long DNA or RNA fragments by monitoring an electrical current as the nucleic acids are passed through a protein nanopore. In October 2023, French diagnostics company bioMérieux invested £70m ($85m) into Oxford Nanopore to help advance the company’s in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) solution.