British Scientists Plan to Expand Genomic Sequencing from COVID to Flu 

A computer image created by Nexu Science Communication together with Trinity College in Dublin, shows a model structurally representative of a betacoronavirus which is the type of virus linked to COVID-19, shared with Reuters on February 18, 2020. (NEXU Science Communication/via Reuters)
A computer image created by Nexu Science Communication together with Trinity College in Dublin, shows a model structurally representative of a betacoronavirus which is the type of virus linked to COVID-19, shared with Reuters on February 18, 2020. (NEXU Science Communication/via Reuters)
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British Scientists Plan to Expand Genomic Sequencing from COVID to Flu 

A computer image created by Nexu Science Communication together with Trinity College in Dublin, shows a model structurally representative of a betacoronavirus which is the type of virus linked to COVID-19, shared with Reuters on February 18, 2020. (NEXU Science Communication/via Reuters)
A computer image created by Nexu Science Communication together with Trinity College in Dublin, shows a model structurally representative of a betacoronavirus which is the type of virus linked to COVID-19, shared with Reuters on February 18, 2020. (NEXU Science Communication/via Reuters)

Genomic sequencing allowed the world to track new coronavirus variants throughout the pandemic. Now British researchers plan to use it to better understand a host of other respiratory pathogens, from influenza to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). 

The work is aimed at shedding more light on known threats and, potentially, emerging ones, the team at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, working with the UK Health Security Agency, said. 

The world has never had access to the kind of real-time information for these viruses that scientists obtained on SARS-CoV-2 through sequencing millions of genomes, Ewan Harrison, head of the new Respiratory Virus and Microbiome Initiative, told reporters on Monday. 

That includes granular detail on how they transmit as well as how they evolve in the face of the human immune response. 

"We hope that by expanding our ability to sequence these viruses routinely, we can build upon the work that's going on COVID, and hopefully supercharge research efforts to understand the transmission of these viruses, but also to help develop new treatments and vaccines," Harrison said. 

The aim is to make genomic surveillance of this type the norm, to inform public health responses and act as a blueprint for other countries that want to do the same thing, he said. 

The work will begin later this year by using leftover material from swabs taken for COVID-19 diagnostic purposes, sequencing SARS-CoV-2, influenza, RSV and other common respiratory viruses in a combined process. 

While some of the viruses targeted typically cause mild, cold-like symptoms, others can cause serious illness, particularly in vulnerable populations. 

Cases of COVID-19, flu and RSV have all surged this winter in the northern hemisphere in a so-called "tripledemic" that is putting serious pressure on hospitals in a number of countries. 

The team said that, in future, the initiative could answer questions about outbreaks like this. 

It also aims to sequence everything found in a single nose swab, including the viral, bacterial and fungal species present and how they change during infection. 

The five-year initiative aims to begin work from spring this year and is funded by Wellcome. 



King Charles Warns of War’s ‘True Cost’ at VJ Day’s 80th Anniversary

 Britain's King Charles records a VJ Day message in the Morning Room of Clarence House, in London Britain, August 14, 2025. (Reuters)
Britain's King Charles records a VJ Day message in the Morning Room of Clarence House, in London Britain, August 14, 2025. (Reuters)
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King Charles Warns of War’s ‘True Cost’ at VJ Day’s 80th Anniversary

 Britain's King Charles records a VJ Day message in the Morning Room of Clarence House, in London Britain, August 14, 2025. (Reuters)
Britain's King Charles records a VJ Day message in the Morning Room of Clarence House, in London Britain, August 14, 2025. (Reuters)

Britain's King Charles on Friday released a message commemorating the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, which marks the Allied victory over Japan and the end of World War Two, reflecting on current conflicts and warning that the cost of war reaches far beyond battlefields.

While fighting in Europe ended in May 1945, the conflict with Japan continued until it signaled its intention to surrender on August 15 that year after atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States.

Charles said the war's final act brought an "immense price" for Hiroshima and Nagasaki, one he prayed no nation would ever pay again.

Charles will be joined by his wife Queen Camilla, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Japanese ambassador and veterans for a National Service of Remembrance to pay tribute to those who were killed in the last three months of the war.

There will be a flypast featuring historic military planes, a two-minute silence at midday and famous buildings across the country will be lit up to mark the occasion.

The monarch used his six-minute address to highlight ongoing conflicts: "War's true cost extends beyond battlefields, touching every aspect of life, a tragedy all too vividly demonstrated by conflicts around the world today."

He said that in World War Two, nations that had never fought side by side learned to work together, proving "that in times of war and in times of peace, the greatest weapons of all are not the arms you bear, but the arms you link".

"That remains a vital lesson for our times," he added.

Starmer said in a statement the "country owes a great debt to those who fought for a better future, so we could have the freedoms and the life we enjoy today".

At dawn military bagpipers performed at The Cenotaph war memorial in central London, at Edinburgh Castle and the National Memorial Arboretum in central England where the service of remembrance will be held later, the government said.

A piper was also expected to perform at a Japanese peace garden to recognize the reconciliation between Britain and Japan in the decades since the war ended.

On Friday evening, dozens of buildings and locations across the country including Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, the Tower of London, and the White Cliffs of Dover will be illuminated to mark the anniversary.