The government has announced 10m in new funding for a genetic surveillance programme which it says will further strengthen the country’s animal and plant biosecurity.

Announced during National Plant Health Week, the new funding comes from Defra and UK Research and Innovation. The funded programme aims to safeguard the UK economy as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

Pests and diseases are estimated to cost the UK economy billions of pounds each year, according to government reports. Ash dieback alone is predicted to inflict £15 billion in damages over the coming decades.

Focusing on increasing the speed of pathogen boarder detection, the research programme will also develop new strategies to mitigate disease spread and cross species transmission.

Named the ‘Genomics for Animal and Plant Disease Consortium’ (GAP DC), it aims to scientifically undertake disease spread surveillance. Using genome sequencing technologies, reading the genetic codes of living organisms, to detect, identify and track changes in pathogens.

On the funding announcement, Dr Lisa Ward, head of Forest Research, comments:

“The genomic methods being developed under the GAP DC project are essential to future proof Forest Research’s work on monitoring the health of our trees by enhancing early pathogen detection, allowing rapid response and more effective disease control.”

Previous case studies have included the bacteria ‘Xanthomonas arboricola pv. Pruni’, a bacteria affecting peach, almond and Japanese plums.

According to GAP DC, sequencing of the bacteria’s genome determined whether outbreaks in nurseries were persistent or new infections. It also allowed scientists to determine whether outbreaks were connected or separate introductions.