Scaling SwabSeq for fast, large-scale detection of new viruses
Expanding Swabseq sequencing technology to enable readiness for emerging pathogens
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · NIH-11128757
This project is improving a sequencing-based test called SwabSeq so many people can be screened quickly for emerging viruses and other pathogens.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11128757 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you give a swab or saliva sample, the lab would add a tiny DNA 'barcode' that tags your sample, then hundreds of thousands of samples are mixed and read by a sequencer to find viruses and match them back to you. This lets a single machine check many people at once, which can cut cost and increase speed compared with one-sample-at-a-time tests. The team at UCLA has already run SwabSeq in a CLIA-certified lab for COVID-19 screening and now plans to make the method easier for other labs to adopt and to cover more pathogens. That could let workplaces, schools, and public-health programs offer routine, large-scale surveillance.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who would benefit are anyone in regions, institutions, or programs offering high-throughput surveillance testing — including asymptomatic staff, students, or community members who submit swabs for screening.
Not a fit: People needing immediate point-of-care results or individualized bedside diagnosis may not benefit from a high-throughput lab sequencing approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could enable faster, cheaper population-level testing that finds outbreaks sooner and helps protect communities.
How similar studies have performed: Sequencing-based pooled testing like SwabSeq was successfully used for COVID-19 screening at UCLA and other centers, though extending the system to many different emerging pathogens is a newer step.
Where this research is happening
LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES — LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: ESKIN, ELEAZAR — UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- Study coordinator: ESKIN, ELEAZAR
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 below.