Senior Researcher
- Mekjarvik
adkr@norceresearch.no
+47 51 87 55 35
Strengthening Environmental Surveillance to Advance Public Health Action (ODIN)

Sampling of drinking water in Dar es Salaam in very close proximity to an open wastewater treatment plant. (Photo: Adriana Krolicka)
ODIN will develop/strengthen a genomic environmental surveillance system that relies on monitoring waterborne pathogens in wastewaters and other environmental reservoirs. In addition, the project will strengthen the capacity for genomics and bioinformatics database management in sub-Saharan Africa.
Objectives
The ODIN project aims to:
- Develop a genomic surveillance system based on enviromental monitoring, serving as an early warning system for waterborne pathogens and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in outbreak situations.
- Strengthen genomics and bioinformatics capacity in sub-Saharan countries.
- Strengthen international multidisciplinary research and cooperation.
- Reduce disease and illness cases caused by contaminated drinking water in sub-Saharan Africa by increasing awareness and providing protocols for efficient water and sanitation interventions (SDG6).
Implementation
The ODIN project involves seven work packages:
- Project Management, Coordination, and Leadership (coordinated by Lund University)
- Setting-up environmental surveillance systems for multiple human pathogens
- Human pathogen surveillance using a mobile and semi-autonomous environmental workflow (lead by NORCE)
- Developing metagenomic and bioinformatic analytical processes with interactive visualisation and sharing endpoints
- Integration of translational pathogen genomics into public health surveillance systems
- Capacity strengthening, knowledge mobilisation and training in genomics and bioinformatics
- Dissemination, Communication and Exploitation of the Results
The WP lead by NORCE 3 focuses on the development and optimization of low-cost, easy-to implement mobile solutions for qualitative and quantitative molecular analysis of environmental samples for epidemiological surveillance. This is to implement a holistic One Health approach and deliver efficient infectious disease surveillance, disease prevention and control, as well as public health emergency preparedness.
Partners
- Lund University (LU), Sweden (coordinator)
- National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), Tanzania
- Centre National de la Recherche Technologique et Scientifique (CNRST/IRSS-DRCO), Burkina Faso
- University of Kinshasa (UNIKIN), the Democratic Republic of Congo
- Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Belgium
- Ghent University (UGENT), Belgium
- Norwegian Research Centre (NORCE), Norway
- The Global Health Network (TGHN), University of Oxford, United Kingdom
Funding
The project is supported by the Commission of the European Communities as part of the Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (Grant Agreement n° 101103253) and Global Health EDCTP3.
Contact
Project facts
Name
Strengthening Environmental Surveillance to Advance Public Health Action (ODIN)
Status
Active
Duration
01.07.23 - 30.06.26
Location
Mekjarvik