Work with us
Lungfish is a research collaborative. If your institution is interested in environmental pathogen monitoring, we would like to hear from you.
Get in touch →Academic partner
Dave O'Connor, PhDUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison
Shelby O'Connor, PhDUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison
The laboratories of Drs. Dave and Shelby O'Connor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison provide scientific leadership for Lungfish. Wisconsin is one of the two states where the programme's air sampling and wastewater sequencing work began, and the methods developed there are the basis for its expansion elsewhere.
The four research programs below run across the collaborative rather than belonging to any single institution.
CityPath
Environmental pathogen monitoring, the regular wastewater and air sampling of congregate settings, is a cost-effective and non-invasive way to protect public health. The information gathered through environmental pathogen monitoring serves as an early detection system that identifies viruses before they appear in other ways. To advance environmental pathogen monitoring both within the United States and abroad, CityPath deploys air and wastewater pathogen testing technologies through three major initiatives.
CityPath Exemplar
Lungfish operates an air sampling program in healthcare facilities in Missouri and Wisconsin, and conducts deep sequencing of viruses and other pathogens found in wastewater. Data from these activities have detected multiple viruses including SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and RSV. Since different viruses require different prevention methods and the populations of concern vary according to age and other factors, this data helps clinicians and public health practitioners to safeguard the community's health.
CityPath National
Lungfish has built on the activities conducted in Wisconsin and Missouri to expand to other urban areas of the United States. The data from air and wastewater sampling results in a stronger public health response, increased community awareness and the advancement of pathogen monitoring technologies, all of which have been prioritized by municipal governments throughout the country.
CityPath Global
The Lungfish team is also applying its knowledge and experience in environmental pathogen monitoring to help international partners conduct air and wastewater sampling. This form of international cooperation will not only result in new knowledge about environmental pathogen monitoring, but it will also lead to innovation and refinement of sampling techniques and technologies as this work is conducted in multiple settings with diverse health systems and epidemiological profiles.
NaturePath
More than ever before, the health of humans, animals and the natural environment is inextricably linked. Human activity in the modern era shapes the way pathogens emerge from their natural reservoirs through urbanization, global air travel, agriculture and many other activities. In fact, 75% of emerging infectious diseases and nearly all recent pandemics are zoonoses, pathogens originating from animals.
Despite the significant health, economic and societal impact of these recent pandemics, current routine pathogen monitoring is designed to focus on known diseases and clinical symptoms found in human patients. Health security experts have determined that using metagenomic sequencing to assess unusual disease patterns in humans and animals while simultaneously conducting random environmental sampling to capture pathogen circulation is a crucial element of future pandemic preparedness. In particular, the sampling of wastewater is needed because it offers a way to detect pathogens of pandemic potential prior to their manifestation in human patients.
NaturePath aims to respond to this need by performing pathogen-agnostic sequencing of water samples that represent a wide diversity of wildlife with the goal of being able to recognize potential emerging pathogens while gaining a better understanding of the viral diversity from disparate ecosystems. A primary focus of NaturePath's activity is on pathogens of pandemic potential such as avian H5N1 influenza, but an important secondary focus will be a more general survey of viral dynamics in wildlife.
Survey of pandemic-potential viruses
The Lungfish team is collecting and analyzing environmental samples to determine the dynamics of viral pathogens, particularly from migrating birds which are the primary source of new influenza viruses.
Dynamics and diversity of the virosphere in wildlife
The Lungfish team is using environmental sampling to determine the dynamics of viral pathogens in wildlife.
InfinitePath
The next pandemic is likely to be caused by a respiratory pathogen because of their high rate of transmissibility from person to person. Health security experts recognize pathogen monitoring of respiratory pathogens as essential for pandemic preparedness. InfinitePath addresses this need by creating a pathogen-agnostic sequencing method designed to detect and monitor respiratory and gastrointestinal viruses in indoor air samples.
Enhanced health facility preparedness
The platform enables simultaneous detection of multiple airborne viruses, improving response to viral threats and allowing facilities to implement tailored infection prevention measures.
Reduced disease burden
By gathering viral data through air sampling, early detection becomes possible, enabling professionals to intervene quickly and implement targeted mitigation strategies based on identified pathogens.
Viral ecology advancement
Comprehensive viral pathogen monitoring reveals transmission dynamics and patterns across seasons that targeted testing approaches might miss.
Scalable pathogen monitoring models
Methods developed in Wisconsin and Missouri can be adapted for implementation in other U.S. cities and international locations.
SproutingPath
SproutingPath aims to be an innovative educational initiative that bridges the gap between the research practiced in laboratories at universities, government laboratories, industry, public health departments and the communities that they serve. The initiative develops curricula focused on teaching pathogen detection from environmental sources including air and wastewater, operating as a grassroots program to build community awareness of environmental pathogen monitoring tools.
Educated workforce
Creating an educated workforce ready to tackle future public health challenges through skills-based and hands-on undergraduate curriculum.
Innovation through education
Believing students are key to developing novel solutions to environmental pathogen monitoring methods and public health outreach efforts.
Public science literacy
Creating educational opportunities for the public to learn more about science and implications of environmental pathogen monitoring.
Educational resources
Publishing education resources for use across disciplines and educational avenues.
Environmental pathogen monitoring is becoming increasingly more important for the security of our communities, and training the next generation of scientists for pandemic preparedness is paramount. Strengthening scientist-to-public communication is essential for effective future pandemic responses.