Forty-two PDN members, representing all 12 institutions, were present at the kick-off meeting on 20th September 2024.
The meeting began with general administrative aspects, particularly focusing on legal obligations and contractual matters. All subaward agreements will be shared by the SIB legal team by the end of September. Internal coordination was also discussed, with all-hands meetings scheduled every two months, alternating with executive board meetings. Additionally, work streams will meet in between to ensure progress in their activities. Information and documents will be managed on a shared drive. It was agreed to establish a common calendar to be shared among PDN members. PDN members are required to complete the PDN registration form to gain access to the shared drive and calendar and to be included in the mailing lists.
On the communication side, the PDN website has been launched. However, a graphical abstract is still needed on the landing page to explain PDN’s purpose to a wider audience. The SIB team will work on this, likely in collaboration with an external communications agency.
The PDN’s work is divided into six workstreams:
- Pathogens Portals, covering the EMBL-EBI Pathogens PortalRefers to the Pathogens Portal, a resource hosted and developed by the EMBL-EBI that enables researchers, clinicians and policymakers access the latest and most comprehensive datasets on pathogens. Link to the resource: https://www.pathogensportal.org/ and the Local Pathogens PortalsThe Local Pathogens Portal (LPP) was the original name for what is now known as the Pathogens Portal Nodes (PPN)., for which reference software implementations will be provided.
- FAIR Data Management, covering the Core Data Hubs, Archival Database, Pathogen Analysis System, Pathogen Data Platform Capacity Framework, and Data Standards.
- Data Analyses, covering developments for wastewater analysis and outbreak response.
- Policy & Ethics, covering policy research, international alignment, data governance, and the ethics of wastewater data sharing.
- Training & Outreach, covering stakeholder needs analysis, support center, and dedicated training events.
- Community, covering the Open Community Forum and the Community of Practice.
Stream leads presented an overview of their activities and specific objectives for year 1. This will be documented in the contractual agreements.
For the next steps, dedicated workstream mailing lists will be created, and stream leads will coordinate work and progress report sessions. The upcoming Executive Board meeting will focus on preparations for the BRC Kick-Off meeting in November.