ICRA Projects

Wastewater Based Epidemiology (WBE) has become a powerful tool to track SARS-CoV-2 community infection dynamics. The main goal of EPISARS is to provide new tools on key aspects of SARS-CoV-2 spreading to efficiently tackle our response to the current COVID-19 pandemics and to be prepared to upcoming threats caused by similar pandemic viruses.

Specific objectives are: i) to investigate the potential of SARS-CoV-2 WBE applied to precincts as an alternative to individual clinical testing; ii) to develop molecular methodologies for approaching SARS-CoV-2 infectivity; iii) to improve public health management tools by assessing the occupational risk linked to SARS-CoV-2 environmental exposure; iv) to develop NGS and user-friendly tools for CoV typing and genetic analysis; v) to investigate the role of livestock in SARS-CoV-2 transmission or as CoV reservoirs; vi) to obtain information on circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants in different areas of Catalonia and population strata (cities, hospitals, elderly and university residences, schools, slaughterhouses/farms) evaluating potential pathogenesis and evolutionary aspects.

This project will contribute at short term to the control and prevention of the transmission of coronavirus, identification of emerging strains, surveillance of the virus circulation and the impact of the vaccine and will develop management tools to be prepared to upcoming epidemics.