Blood Borne Viruses Unit (BBVU)

Virus Reference Department
Centre for Infections
61 Colindale Avenue
London NW9 5EQ

DX 6530006

Tel: 020 8327 6234
Fax: 020 8200 1569

Head of Unit:

Professor Richard Tedder
Tel: 020 8327 6109/6553
Email: richard.tedder@hpa.org.uk

Richard Tedder has a joint appointment with the HPA, the NHS Blood and Transplant Service (NHSBT) and UCL. The Blood Borne Virus Unit is engaged in research and development on Hepatitis Viruses and works closely with the Seromolecular Services Unit (SSU) and the NHSBT.

Clinical scientists:

Siew Lin Ngui  (siewlin.ngui@hpa.org.uk) 020 8327 6555
Samreen Ijaz  (samreen.ijaz@hpa.org.uk) 020 8327 6554
Simon Carne (simon.carne@hpa.org.uk) 0208 327 6971

NHSBT secondment: Kate Tettmar (kate.tettmar@hpa.org.uk)

Healthcare scientists:

Hugh Kikuchi  (hugh.kikuchi@hpa.org.uk) 0208 8327 6554
Shoshanna May  (Shoshanna.may@hpa.org.uk) 0208 327 6234

Reference services available:

• Hepatitis B (HBV) sequencing and phylogenetics
• HBV antiviral resistance testing
• Screening for HBsAg mutation
• Screening for pre-core & BCP mutation
• Hepatitis C (HCV) sequencing and phylogenetics

HBV Sequencing request form S10 (PDF, 82 KB).  

• HAV & HEV RNA detection and phylogenetics from sera
• Investigation Hepatitis A (HAV), HBV, HCV and Hepatitis E (HEV) transmission events and outbreaks

For all other hepatitis virus investigations please contact:
Mr Nigel Wallis 020 8327 6971
SSU main office 020 8327 7262
Hepatitis Viruses Investigation Request Form S1 (PDF, 88 KB).

Further details of samples required - Seromolecular Services Unit (SSU)

Our development activities include:

• Real time HEV RNA assay
• Real time HDV RNA assay
• HDV genotyping
• Anti-HBc avidity testing.

Our Surveillance activities include:

• Sequencing of acute HBV cases
• Sequencing of HCV sero-converters
• Enhanced surveillance of HEV (project SHEV)
  Project SHEV  Request Form S7 (PDF, 86 KB)
  For more information please contact Samreen Ijaz
• HBV sequence database, HepSEQ (www.hepseqresearch.org)
  Recommended protocol for HBV genotyping and for antiviral resistance analysis (PDF, 33 KB)
  HBV Sequencing request form S10 (PDF, 82 KB)
  For more information please contact Samreen Ijaz.

Our Research activities include:

• Epitope mapping of HBsAg variants including vaccine escape variants
• In vitro complementation of HBsAg
• PhD studentship on in vitro HBV phenotyping
• Blood safety studies in collaboration with NHSBT.

Recent publications

For further details of recent publications of members of the Blood Borne Virus Unit

Useful links

Hepseq  www.hepseqresearch.org
NICE   www.nice.org.uk
NHSBT  www.nhsbt.nhs.uk
BASL  www.basl.org.uk
SoGAT http://www.nibsc.ac.uk/partners/SoGAT/index.html

Last reviewed: 7 October 2009