TWIW Project Status Update 22 August 2022
TWIW is an international collaboration collecting clinically relevant bacterial isolates and performing whole genome sequencing on these isolates to elucidate the distribution and spread of pathogens and AMR in a clinical setting. The data are shared in an equity database between all of the partners.
The first round of data collection was performed in 2020 and has now resulted in a finished dataset with ongoing analyses being performed. Several actions have been taken since the first data collection to increase the speed of data generation and sharing. Some of the most important actions are the implementation of a data infrastructure and creating of automatic sequence and species validation.
The second round of data collection has been initiated and is an ongoing process. Currently partners are still registering for the project. Some registered partners are working on getting ethical or other necessary approvals by the authorities. Further, materials are being prepared and shipped from DTU, while a few partners are performing data collection. Lastly, sample handling and processing at DTU is being performed on the samples that have arrived. There is a continued development of processes to make the project more efficient.
For more information (https://twiw.genomicepidemiology.org/)
TWIW Project Status Update 17 March 2020
The TWIW collaboration has since initiation in September 2019 onboarded partners around the world as visualized by the map above. We are still onboarding partners. If you can see your country is not represented, or you are interested in registering even though your country is already participating, please get in touch or register via the Survey Monkey link (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8FWZG6S). We expect to list the names of the collaborating units once permission has been given to do so.
TWIW sampling status, 17 March 2020
Units registered or partially registered as partners: 87
Parcels with sampling material received by partners ready to sample: 56
Parcels with samples or DNA returned to DTU: 5
Please note that as of 12 March 2020, we have paused the project to the extent possible, due to the Danish Covid-19 response, which involves a complete lock-down of the public sector, including universities and research groups. We are still working from our homes, while laboratory work will be performed only if absolutely necessary. Many of our partners, including the majority of those situated in Europe, are also affected by their national Covid-19 response. Seeing as our partners all play a role in the health sectors in their respective countries, we do not expect any of them to put any efforts in to sampling for TWIW, while involved in their national Covid-19 responses.
Due to a number of reasons, a major one being the effect of the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic on the TWIW project, we have decided to stretch the sampling window until the end of November 2020 (thirty-nine weeks instead of two, acronym still holds!). While on lock down, we are happy to assist in the preparatory phases of participation, including applications for ethical permissions and whatever else we can assist with.