College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences

A new venture, aimed accelerate the impact of virology research, is being launched at the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research (CVR). The CVR Translational Hub (CTH) will be dedicated to transforming cutting-edge virology research into impactful clinical, industrial, and public health solutions.

The multidisciplinary platform, based at the CVR, will seek opportunities to identify novel antiviral and immunotherapeutic targets and develop next-generation diagnostic tools.

By driving the translational efforts of the CVR, the Hub will foster innovation, collaboration, and real-world outcomes; with efforts spanning drug screening, serology, and genomics. Through collaboration with industry, the NHS, and public health partners, a primary objective of the Hub is to drive the translation of the CVR’s world-leading fundamental research into impactful solutions that directly benefit public health across the wider population.

The drug screening arm aims to develop and screen novel antivirals and therapeutic candidates. Identifying and validating drug targets will be done using systems virology, functional genomics, and AI. By working closely and engaging with industry, the Hub hopes to advance therapeutic development and support vaccine trial design aligned with NHS and UKHSA clinical research infrastructure.

Genomics research at the new Hub will use next-generation sequencing (NGS) to detect and characterise viral genomes to inform the development of diagnostics,
novel pathogen discovery and genomic surveillance.

On a practical level, the Hub will also use genomic tools to conduct wastewater-based surveillance to support early outbreak detection and community-level monitoring.

Researchers will also create software tools and AI methods to aid vaccine evaluation, and to contribute to pandemic preparedness through early detection, variant tracking, and pathogen characterisation.

Professor Emma Thomson, Director of the CVR, said: “Establishing the CVR Translational Hub will significantly enhance our capabilities and strengthen the UK’s preparedness for future viral threats. By integrating cutting-edge tools—including AI for target discovery and pathogen prediction—we can accelerate the translation of fundamental research into real-world impact for industry partners and clinical and public health systems.”

The CVR is home to the UK’s largest critical mass of researchers who are entirely focused on the study of human viral diseases and viruses at the human-animal interface. Established in 2010 as a partnership between the University and the Medical Research Council (MRC), the CVR contributes to national virology capability and supports the global response to viruses and the diseases they cause.

Researchers at the CVR have made significant contributions to the study of multiple important viruses including influenza, dengue, mpox, herpes viruses, Zika, hepatitis viruses and SARS-CoV-2.

The CVR is also home to world-class facilities including state-of-the-art genomics, containment level 3 laboratories and cryo-EM microscopes.

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Enquiries: ali.howard@glasgow.ac.uk or elizabeth.mcmeekin@glasgow.ac.uk

First published: 18 August 2025