Strengthening One Health Genomic Surveillance in Malaysia: A Collaborative, Technology-Driven Response to Zoonotic Threats

Through the SEAOHUN One Health Research and Training (OHRT) Awards Program, a multidisciplinary team at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) led by Dr. Yu Choo Yee launched an innovative project to build real-time sequencing capacity for emerging zoonotic diseases. By blending hands-on laboratory training with bioinformatics, the initiative equipped 21 professionals from human health, veterinary, environmental science, and data analysis backgrounds—setting a new benchmark for integrated surveillance in Southeast Asia.

Project Implementation Experience

Our journey unfolded in three phases. First, between May and July 2024, a cross-sector working group drafted a One Health genomic surveillance module. Experts in molecular biology, virology, parasitology, and bioinformatics collaborated to develop case studies on avian influenza and Nipah virus, standard operating procedures for portable nanopore sequencers, and guided pipelines for genome assembly and phylogenetic analysis.

Next, we procured reagents and consumables, leveraging a single-release budget to accelerate lab setup. A recruitment poster yielded 60 applications within 24 hours; 22 candidates were shortlisted to ensure 21 attendees. Finally, from 19–23 August 2024 in Selangor, Malaysia, participants immersed themselves in a five-day workshop featuring lectures, wet-lab sequencing runs, and data-analysis challenges—all designed to mirror real-world outbreak scenarios.

Building One Health Capacities

The program delivered tangible skill gains:

Technical Mastery: All trainees successfully prepared sequencing libraries, managed runs on portable devices, and generated high-quality phylogenetic trees.
Data Fluency: Hands-on bioinformatics sessions demystified base calling, variant calling, and outbreak tracing, with participants interpreting transmission networks from real datasets.
Interdisciplinary Communication: Collaborative breakout exercises fostered dialogue between sectors, improving participants’ ability to translate genomic findings into actionable public health recommendations.
Post-training assessments showed a 45% average score increase, underscoring the workshop’s impact on knowledge and confidence.

Empowering the Next Generation

Beyond technical skills, the project nurtured trainers and future educators. Postgraduates and science officers served as workshop facilitators, gaining supervisory experience and deepening their One Health perspectives. Back at their home institutions, participants have begun drafting proposals to replicate the workshop, ensuring that genomic surveillance expertise radiates outward from UPM into national public health laboratories and veterinary services.

Institutional Integration & Policy Influence

UPM has formally integrated the module into its postgraduate curriculum, enriching courses in epidemiology and laboratory science with real-time sequencing case studies. Meanwhile, trainees at a National Public Health Laboratory have adapted workshop materials to establish routine genomic monitoring, directly informing Malaysia’s outbreak preparedness plans. This alignment of academia, government, and community laboratories exemplifies how targeted training can reshape national surveillance frameworks.

Lessons Learned & Future Directions

Flexible Scheduling: Buffer periods in the timeline accommodated procurement delays, ensuring smooth workshop delivery.
Streamlined Funding: A consolidated budget disbursement minimized administrative hurdles and expedited reagent orders.
Stakeholder Engagement: Regular check-ins with lab managers, ministry officials, and community leaders kept the module relevant and practicable.
Train-the-Trainer Model: Empowering facilitators fosters sustainability, enabling institutions to host future workshops independently.

Looking ahead, we plan to expand this model across Malaysia’s regions and to neighboring Southeast Asian countries, building a resilient network of One Health genomic surveillance specialists.

Conclusion

The SEAOHUN OHRT Awards Program has demonstrated that immersive, technology-driven training can rapidly fortify a One Health workforce. By weaving together hands-on sequencing, bioinformatics, and interdisciplinary collaboration, this project has laid a scalable foundation for genomic surveillance—equipping Malaysia and the region to detect, analyze, and respond to zoonotic threats with unprecedented speed and coordination.

Team Leader: Dr. Yu Choo Yee – Research Officer, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia

Core Team Members: