IDbyDNA, San Carlos, Calif, and Illumina, San Diego, are co-launching a Respiratory Pathogen ID/AMR Target Enrichment Assay for research use only. The test is designed to detect respiratory co-infections as well as antibiotic-resistant pathogens in patients with SARS-CoV-2.
IDbyDNA’s partnership with Illumina aims to accelerate and improve testing for infectious diseases, including covid-19. The team will leverage IDbyDNA’s Explify Platform and Illumina’s next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology to deliver the most comprehensive detection of respiratory pathogens and the first one based on next-generation sequencing (NGS). In addition to targeting nearly 300 pathogens, the panel can also detect genes associated with antimicrobial resistance markers, providing insight into how the misuse of antimicrobials can lead to antibiotic resistance.
“Patients with COVID-19, influenza, and other respiratory diseases often suffer from co-infections that may worsen symptoms and frequently can be treated if identified. Targeted metagenomics and next-generation sequencing can detect pathogens much more comprehensively than was possible just a few years ago,” says Robert Schlaberg, MD, DrMed, MPH, co- founder and chief medical officer of IDbyDNA. “IDbyDNA and Illumina’s technologies allow laboratories to find not just the suspected pathogens but also any co-infecting viruses, bacteria, or fungi that may require special treatment. Sequencing pathogen genomes also allows genetic profiling of SARS-CoV-2, influenza viruses, and other pathogens to support surveillance and containment efforts.”
