Trial aims to revolutionise respiratory infection work

Scientists at Newcastle Hospitals are participating in a national trial to develop a ‘groundbreaking’ genomic test for faster diagnosis of serious respiratory infections.

Currently, diagnosing infections like pneumonia and bronchitis can take several days, but the new metagenomics technology aims to provide results within hours.

Scientists at the North East Innovation Lab and Newcastle Hospitals are working with microbiologists and virologists to test the new method, which extracts genetic information from pathogens, enabling far quicker and more accurate diagnoses.

Simon Rock, principal scientist at the North East Innovation lab said: “This new approach not only speeds up the diagnosis but also allows scientists to identify if the organism causing the disease is resistant to any antibiotics.

“This technology can be applied to diseases we already know about, but it can also help with pathogen surveillance to identify new causes of disease, making us much better equipped to deal with future outbreaks or fast-spreading diseases.” 

Dr Manoj Valappil, consultant virologist at Newcastle Hospitals, added: “The new technology has the potential to identify all pathogens present in a sample at once, including some of which aren’t currently detected by standard testing.”

“Accessing such comprehensive information will help to inform targeted treatment decisions for critically ill patients.”

If the trial, which is being led by Guy’s and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust and funded by NHS England and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, proves to be a success, the genome testing service could be rolled out next year. 

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