Human pathogens are one of the major threats to public health and cost the global economy tens of billions of dollars annually. It is also one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Many infected patients require medical treatment or hospitalisation, which entails high costs and loss of productivity. Current approaches to monitor infectious diseases primarily rely on reporting from hospitals or pathology labs. This retrospective approach cannot provide real-time information, which is key to timely intervention. Recent reports by the Australian government indicate that the current epidemiology approach and data are insufficient for timely intervention during outbreaks. With population growth and urbanisation, it is critical to strengthen our capabilities to monitor and prevent the ever-increasing risks of epidemics.
The broad aim of this project is to develop and demonstrate an innovative, real-time, and high-resolution genomic tool to monitor and track pathogenic microbiomes in sewer networks based on the most advanced and portable third-generation sequencing (TGS) platform (MinION nanopore sequencer). The microbiome of pathogens in sewers will be detected by the low-cost, fast sequencing methods within hours. This will allow early warning even before symptoms develop in infected people. Built upon wastewater analysis for pharmaceuticals targeting specific pathogens, this integrated approach of sewage-based epidemiology will greatly enhance public health by achieving early detection and timely intervention of infectious diseases.
Research outputs
