Publications by authors named "Heather K E Ward"

Article Synopsis
  • The COVID-19 pandemic spurred global efforts to sequence SARS-CoV-2 genomes to monitor its evolution and guide public health decisions, resulting in millions of genome sequences being shared worldwide.
  • The Canadian COVID-19 Genomics Network (CanCOGeN - VirusSeq) launched the Canadian VirusSeq Data Portal to provide open access to genomic sequences and standardized contextual data while adhering to FAIR standards.
  • The portal emphasizes data quality, privacy compliance, and security, and is used alongside tools like Viral AI and the CoVaRR-Net to facilitate ongoing research and analysis of SARS-CoV-2 variants in Canada.
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The COVID-19 pandemic led to a large global effort to sequence SARS-CoV-2 genomes from patient samples to track viral evolution and inform public health response. Millions of SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences have been deposited in global public repositories. The Canadian COVID-19 Genomics Network (CanCOGeN - VirusSeq), a consortium tasked with coordinating expanded sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 genomes across Canada early in the pandemic, created the Canadian VirusSeq Data Portal, with associated data pipelines and procedures, to support these efforts.

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Surface chemical compounds are key components of survival and reproduction in many species. Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are chemical compounds produced by all insects that are used for both desiccation resistance and chemical communication, including communication related to mating. In the species pair of and , female CHCs stimulate conspecific males to mate and repel heterospecific males.

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