Swedish Pathogen Portal updates support pandemic preparedness

After six years of working closely with researchers across Sweden, the Swedish Pathogens Portal launched its biggest update yet. The new version responds directly to the research community’s needs, making it easier to discover, share, and explore infectious disease data. 

Since its launch in 2020, the Swedish Pathogens Portal has supported  infectious disease research in Sweden by making data, resources and knowledge easier to find, access, and use. Through close collaboration with the Swedish research community, the portal has continued to evolve, identifying researchers’ needs and developing features to address them. This approach has helped remove barriers to data-driven research, with a focus on making data as FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) and Open as possible. 

Johan Rung, Head of SciLifeLab Data Centre says: “The ability to rapidly disseminate information and data through the research community is crucial for minimising the impact of pathogens on society. These latest updates enable the portal to satisfy this need for both Swedish and global pandemic preparedness. It also enables Swedish research data to be more FAIR, in line with the central aims of SciLifeLab.’’

New and improved features include: 

• An updated interface to make the portal easier to navigate and use.
• Clearer guidance on FAIR data management to support researchers in sharing and managing their data.
• The ability to dynamically gather and collate data on a greater diversity of pathogens and topics.
• Expanded dashboard capabilities, enabling researchers to explore and present more complex datasets through interactive visualisations.
• The ability for research groups to update data directly within the portal.

Together, these changes make it easier for researchers to share their work, explore available data and develop resources that can be used by the wider research community.

Several research groups are already using the new features and adding their work to the Portal. For example, the portal has collaborated with Anna Székely’s group at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) to significantly improve their dashboard showing virus levels in wastewater across Sweden. New dashboards from additional research groups are also under development, along with further features shaped by the needs of the research community.