Kimmo Kivivirta has started as a postdoctoral researcher at the Finnish Food Authority as part of the joint programme of the state research institutes, which aims to strengthen research and development expertise in key areas of society.
Kivivirta’s work focuses on animal disease virology, particularly on how the latest sequencing technologies can be harnessed to support diagnostics.
– Sequencing technologies play a key role in animal disease diagnostics, Kivivirta explains.
The Finnish Food Authority has been using Sanger and Illumina-based methods, which provide a reliable foundation for virus identification and analysis. Kivivirta’s ongoing project takes development a step further. The goal is to introduce a MinION sequencer based on nanopore sequencing alongside the current technologies.
– We aim to develop methods suitable for MinION sequencing specifically for the needs of animal disease virology. This will allow us to expand and accelerate diagnostic capabilities, he describes.
However, hardware alone is not enough as data processing also plays a crucial role. Therefore, the project places strong emphasis on bioinformatics.
– We are introducing new tools for sequence data analysis. The goal is to ensure that we can efficiently utilise the growing amount of data, also in the future, Kivivirta says.
New technologies and analytical methods open possibilities for increasingly accurate and faster identification of animal diseases, and thus better preparedness.
Welcome to hear more about Kimmo Kivivirtas’ project “Veterinary Virology and Next-Generation Sequencing Technologies” on Tuesday, 2 June 2026.
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