The parallel developments of the web and genomic sequencing have provided a levelling platform for the democratisation of biological insight and data analysis in genomics. It provides a developmental layer for engineering visual and analytic solutions to public health, epidemiological, evolutionary and microbiological questions. Empowering the collection, analysis and interpretation of linked genomic data is a collective effort and scaling such endeavours is challenging. It requires approaches that link lab technology, scientific insight and digital epidemiology and the delivery of insights to questions for stakeholders at all levels up and down the information chain, from research to infection control. By using advances in web development as a platform to deliver scientific and public health insight we have produced scalable applications and horizontal technical support packages aimed at the upscaling and implementation of sequencing technology and insight. These have delivered easy and intuitive access to bioinformatics aimed at the virtuous circle of generating scientific insight and delivery for improving public health and to drive the development of precision diagnostics, interventions and situational awareness.

Professor Aanensen is the Director of The Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance at the University of Oxford. He studied for his BSc in Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Salford, followed by an MSc in Neuroscience at the Institute of Psychiatry before spending a period in the web industry. In 2001, David joined the laboratory of Professor Brian Spratt at Imperial College developing bioinformatics solutions for Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST). He undertook a PhD in Bioinformatics at Imperial focussed on the development of web applications for microbiology while working on the understanding of the recently sequenced capsular loci of Streptococcus pneumoniae, a key target in vaccine development.

Combining an interest in population and evolutionary biology and a drive to democratise insight and application to global molecular surveillance, David and his team have been taking advantage of innovations in the web (eg mapping and mobile) to develop widely used applications focussed on key but synergistic components of the data landscape (eg EpiCollect for mobile data gathering; Microreact for linking and visualising genomics and epidemiology; pathogen.watch and amr.watch for easy access to bioinformatics and the collation of information to inform policy). With the advent, and democratising, of whole genome sequencing an allied focus on capacity building for both technology and insight led to the establishment of the Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance aimed at developing capacity in both scientific understanding and application engineering, largely focussed in Low- and Middle-Income settings. This led to the formation and directorship of the NIHR Global Health Research Unit on genomic surveillance of AMR working with partners in Nigeria, India, Philippines and Colombia embedding genomics into national control programmes and developing technical support packages for broader adoption. As a consequence of their global support to programmes, David's team have been designated as the WHO Collaborating Centre on genomic surveillance of AMR and continues to drive the development and uptake of genomic and microbiological interpretation in parallel with increasing country capacity to identify and mitigate risk.