5. In short: no signs, no history, and no hits from standard tests!!
Would we still be in the dark without metagenomics and the accessible, portable MinION sequencer? 🧬🐋
#Smart9N #metagenomics #OneHealth #WildHealth #nanopore

4. In the seal case, the human infection came first, only after a wildlife biologist fell ill post-necropsy did testing reveal tularemia in the harbor seal, marking the first known case in a marine mammal.

3. Notably, the same fall, a similar strain was previously found in a harbor seal during a necropsy in Washington state, marking the first detection of this pathogen in seals as well!

2. Using smart‑9N nanopore metagenomics, researchers at CDC, UAA, CSU, and partners identified Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica. Findings were confirmed via qPCR and immunohistochemistry, marking the first known cases in belugas!

1. After two pregnant Cook Inlet belugas washed ashore (Oct 2023), labs ran standard tests, aerobic cultures, PCR screens for influenza A, SARS‑CoV‑2, morbillivirus, and other common pathogens, all came back negative.

the link to the preprint 🔗 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Big thanks to the @articnetwork.bsky.social team and @wellcometrust.bsky.social for funding support!

ARTIC HELP offers a practical solution to supply chain disruptions, supporting the continuity of critical sequencing activities and expanding genomic surveillance and diagnostic capacity during public health emergencies.

We validated the HELP on clinical samples of SARS-CoV-2 and Norovirus GII, confirming its performance under real-world conditions achieved genome coverage comparable to the ARTIC LoCost protocol.

We tested six different DNA polymerases alongside the Q5 pol as emergency alternatives in tiling multiplex PCR when standard reagents are unavailable for rapid outbreak-response sequencing.

ARTIC HELP includes cost-effective alternatives to all enzyme mixes used in the nanopore native barcoding workflow, including end-prep, barcode & adapter ligation.

When supply chain issues hit, genomic surveillance can stall if key reagents are unavailable. We developed ARTIC HELP to boost resilience: labs can use common enzymes to keep sequencing. More labs stay in the game, supporting global health equity.