The role of technology platforms in Brazil as a strategy for pandemic preparedness and response

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for robust and integrated laboratory infrastructures and technologies to offer rapid responses to health emergencies. Technology platforms, or core facilities, centralize expensive and sophisticated equipment and rely on teams with high technical expertise. They played, during the pandemic, an essential role in the development and improvement of molecular diagnosis, genomic analysis, support for epidemiological surveillance and research into the natural history of the disease. This work discusses the importance of the Fiocruz Technology Platforms Network during the health crisis. Similar to what happened in other countries, core facility activities were quickly reorganized in support of the health emergency, temporarily replacing normal research support demands, which were heavily reduced due to isolation strategies. At Fiocruz, the genomics, bioinformatics and PCR platforms quickly joined the Surveillance Network and Reference Laboratories initiatives, allowing efficient monitoring of viral evolution and the identification of variants, optimizing fast and accurate diagnostic protocols and genomic analyses. They demonstrated a strategic role in dealing with public health emergencies, due to their expertise, set of permanent and operational infrastructures, and rapid mobilization to meet the voluminous demands for analysis.