Unified Metagenomic Method for Rapid Detection of Microorganisms in Clinical Samples
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Hosted by ArcticZymes Technologies with insights from guest speakers from Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust: Adela Alcolea-Medina, Consultant Clinical Scientist and Luke Snell, Clinical Research Fellow
What you'll learn:
- The clinical challenge: why conventional culture and PCR panels often miss co-infections, fungi, and emerging pathogens.
- The breakthrough workflow: a unified metagenomic method enabling same-day identification of bacteria, fungi, and both RNA & DNA viruses from one sample.
- Smart host DNA depletion: how mechanical lysis combined with HL-SAN nuclease clears human DNA to improve microbial detection.
- Rapid turnaround: sample-to-report results in under 7 hours with pathogen detection after as little as 30 minutes of sequencing.
- Performance validation: sensitivity of ~90% for bacteria, ~92% for viruses, and detection of additional pathogens missed by routine diagnostics.
- Clinical implications: how same-day metagenomic testing could transform diagnosis and treatment decisions for acute respiratory infections.
- The role of ArcticZymes nucleases: how selective DNA depletion supports clearer metagenomic results.
Who Should Attend:
- Scientists & Researchers – exploring next-generation approaches for pathogen detection beyond culture and PCR.
- Clinical & Diagnostic Service Providers / LDT Developers – looking to integrate same-day metagenomics into routine workflows.
- Kit & Platform Manufacturers – interested in embedding host DNA depletion and unified protocols into commercial solutions.
- Academia & Translational Researchers – seeking insights into real-world validation of metagenomics in respiratory infections.
About ArcticZymes:
ArcticZymes is the inventor of Salt Active Nucleases (2015), engineered to overcome DNA obstruction in challenging workflows. Our enzymes, including HL-SAN and M-SAN HQ, enable rapid, same-day metagenomic detection by efficiently removing host DNA—helping scientists and clinicians unlock clearer, faster answers from every sample. https://www.arcticzymes.com/about-us
Speakers
Dr Adela Alcolea-Medina PhD
where she works in Pathogen Sequencing and Diagnostic Innovation leading Next Generation Sequencing initiatives for the Infection Sciences division. She holds a PhD from King’s College London, where her research focused on metagenomics in clinical microbiology and infectious diseases. Her research interests include long-read sequencing, metagenomics, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Dr Luke Blagdon Snell MD PhD
is a physician specializing in infectious diseases and microbiology, and an MRC Clinical Research Fellow investigating the evolution of viral pathogens. His research interests include the evolution of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, during persistent infection in individuals with weakened immune systems.
Jørn Remi Henriksen
Jørn Henriksen, Ph.D., works with Scientific Content & Application Insights at ArcticZymes. With a deep foundation in molecular biology, Jørn Henriksen brings extensive expertise in enzyme technologies to the evolving field of metagenomic diagnostics. His focus is on bridging complex biochemical mechanisms with real-world clinical utility — supporting researchers and clinicians in optimizing workflows for clearer, faster pathogen detection. At ArcticZymes Technologies, Jørn plays a key role in translating scientific insights into tools that improve diagnostic accuracy and efficiency.
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