Researchers at the University of New Hampshire will start genomic testing of positive cases of the Covid-19 virus to help monitor for any variants of concern that may be found in New Hampshire.

UNH received a grant of $757,000 from the National Institutes of Health to perform testing in UNH’s state-of-the-art lab, specifically designed to handle Covid-19 testing, and the Hubbard Center for Genomic Studies.

“When someone is tested for Covid-19, the goal is to look for a positive or negative result,” said Kelley Thomas, professor of molecular, cellular and biomedical sciences and director of the Hubbard Center for Genome Studies. “But as the Covid-19 virus continues to mutate over time, it is becoming increasingly important, from a public health perspective, to know which variant of the virus a patient may have and its genetic makeup.”

In partnership with the NH Public Health Laboratories at the state Department of Health and Human Services, UNH scientists will genetically sequence roughly 12,000 stored human specimens previously confirmed by diagnostic tests to contain the virus, as well as any new positive cases that become available. Roughly half of the samples will come from UNH and half from the state.

The objective of the project is to determine the genomic sequence of a large majority of the Covid-19 cases identified in infected individuals in the state and to apply that knowledge to better identify any variants of concern, like the recent Delta or UK variants. The information will help public health officials understand how the different variants spread, if they carry similar or different clinical symptoms, and how they behave in those who may have already had the virus or have been vaccinated.

The work ultimately will provide vital information if a new generation of vaccines needs to be designed, said Thomas.