Story so far
The GENOTIPE network was established in 2024 to address a critical challenge: how to translate advances in pathogen genomics into routine infection prevention and control (IPC) practice. Bringing together clinicians, researchers, public health experts, policymakers, and industry partners, the network was created to support collaboration, generate evidence, and develop practical approaches for real-world implementation.
At the first national GENOTIPE meeting in Brighton (June 2025), participants from across the UK highlighted:
- Strong cross-sector enthusiasm for collaboration
- The need for coordinated, multidisciplinary approaches
- Key uncertainties around feasibility, sustainability, and service models
- The importance of outputs that directly inform guidelines, workforce development, and policy
The GENOTIPE Special Interest Group (SIG) builds on this momentum, providing a structured and sustainable platform to take this work forward.
What is GENOTIPE?
GENOTIPE is a Special Interest Group (SIG) hosted by the Healthcare Infection Society (HIS). It brings together a multidisciplinary community across NHS organisations, academia, public health, and industry to support the translation of pathogen genomics into routine healthcare practice. The SIG builds on the national GENOTIPE network and provides a coordinated platform to develop research, implementation strategies, education, and policy to improve infection management.
Why this matters
Pathogen genomics (particularly whole-genome sequencing) has transformed our ability to detect transmission, characterise pathogens, and inform infection control decisions. However, routine use in healthcare remains limited. The key challenge is not technical capability, but implementation: how to use genomic data in a way that is timely, actionable, and sustainable within real-world healthcare systems. GENOTIPE addresses this gap by bringing together the expertise needed to move from innovation to practice, supporting approaches that are effective, scalable, and aligned with NHS and public health priorities.
What the SIG does
The GENOTIPE SIG provides a platform to:
- Convene an international multidisciplinary community across clinical, academic, and operational domains
- Develop research and funding collaborations to generate high-quality evidence
- Support implementation of genomics in healthcare settings, with a focus on real-world impact
- Contribute to education and workforce development, building genomic capability across IPC and related disciplines
- Inform guidelines, policy, and national strategy, Inform guidelines, policy, and national strategy, working with HIS and external partners