Pooling samples to test for infections faster
Official title: Group testing for infectious disease detection
Funded at University of Nebraska Lincoln · NIH-11127523 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work uses pooled samples so labs can screen more people for infections like HIV and COVID-19 faster and with fewer tests.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Nebraska Lincoln NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lincoln, United States) |
| Project start | May 24, 2016 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $429,353 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI121351-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11127523 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People undergoing screening for infections—such as individuals being tested for HIV, COVID-19, STIs, or blood donors—are the ones most directly affected by pooled testing.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who need immediate individual diagnostic results (for example, urgent symptomatic cases) or those in very high-prevalence settings where pooling is less effective may not benefit from pooled testing.
What this research studies
Labs combine small amounts of many people’s samples into one pooled sample so the group can be tested at once. If a pooled sample is negative, everyone in that pool is cleared; if positive, individual samples from that pool are retested to find who is infected. Researchers apply statistical algorithms to choose pool sizes and testing steps that save tests while still finding positive cases. The methods are applied to real-world infections including HIV, common STIs, blood-borne viruses, and pandemic viruses like SARS-CoV-2 to expand lab capacity.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could let more people be screened faster and at lower cost, expanding access to testing and helping catch infections earlier.
How similar studies have gone: Pooled testing has been used successfully for blood-donor screening, some STI programs, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, though approaches are still being refined.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Nebraska Lincoln
Lincoln, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bilder, Christopher R — University of Nebraska Lincoln
- Study coordinator: Bilder, Christopher R
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.