One Sample. More viruses.
Metagenomics allows us to detect the full range of viral species present in a single wastewater sample. By monitoring many viral pathogens at once, metagenomics offers a more complete picture of what’s circulating in a community and provides insights that support public health efforts.
Advancing Wastewater Science
Traditional PCR testing in wastewater looks for specific pathogens one at a time, similar to searching a large garden for one type of flower. Metagenomics takes a broader approach, allowing scientists to test for thousands of pathogens simultaneously from a single sample, including new and changing ones. It provides a more complete view of everything, like seeing the whole garden all at once.
By looking at this full picture, scientists can identify new pathogens, detect changes in existing ones, and track trends in wastewater, often before they appear in clinical data.
How does it work?
In the following steps, metagenomics turns one wastewater sample into a detailed genetic snapshot.
Collect & Isolate
Wastewater samples are collected from participating sites and sent to a lab for analysis. Scientists isolate genetic material, both DNA and RNA, from the viral species present.
Fragment & Sequence
The genetic material is broken into millions of small fragments and sequenced to capture pieces of viral genetic code. This allows us to target thousands of different viruses at once.
Assemble & Match
Advanced software reconstructs and analyzes these fragments, comparing them with large genetic databases to identify which organisms are present.
Frequently asked questions
PCR testing searches for specific pathogens selected in advance. Metagenomic sequencing takes a broader approach, analyzing genetic material across a sample to identify a wider range of pathogens that may be circulating.
Looking broadly helps scientists detect pathogens that may not be included in routine testing. This gives public health teams a more complete picture of what is circulating and helps guide more targeted follow-up testing.
This approach provides a more comprehensive view of community health, capturing signals that may be missed by targeted testing alone. It can support earlier detection, improved tracking, and more informed public health responses.
Yes. Metagenomic sequencing can detect new variants of known pathogens and may help identify previously unknown pathogens.
Metagenomic sequencing typically takes longer than single-target PCR testing and often requires several days to process and analyze.
Yes. Like PCR-based wastewater monitoring, metagenomic sequencing is fully anonymous. It does not identify or track individuals, only community-level trends.
See what the data is saying
Levels and trends for every pathogen we monitor are published on our public dashboard.