The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced 5-year awards to five state public health departments. The awards will establish the Pathogen Genomics Centers of Excellence (PGCoE) network. The PGCoE network is intended to foster and improve innovation and technical capacity in pathogen genomics, molecular epidemiology, and bioinformatics to better prevent, control. and respond to microbial threats of public health importance.
The five recipients are the Georgia Department of Public Health, the Minnesota Department of Health, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the Virginia Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services, and the Washington State Department of Health, each partnered with one or more academic institutions.
Combined, the PGCOEs will serve as a network to perform a landscape analysis of gaps, needs and opportunities for genomics in the United States public health system; pilot and implement genomics technologies and applications for public health; and prepare for and respond to infectious disease threats.
A total of $1.7 billion in funding from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) is helping to support current and future genomic surveillance. These funds include $400 million for innovation, and approximately $90M of this amount will support the PGCoE network over the next 5 years.
