Agnostic capture of pathogens for the detection and diagnostics of emerging threats

作者：Anastasiya Sakkos, Brandon Saint-John, Tomáš Tyml, Eva Myšková, Lorenzo Aureli, Jamie L. Inman, Antoine M. Snijders, Nigel J. Mouncey, Harshini Mukundan, Frederik Schulz · 发表于：iScience · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.1016/j.isci.2026.114684 · 被引用次数：3 · 研究领域：Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research、SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing、Bacillus and Francisella bacterial research

The continued emergence of pathogens, whether novel, re-emerging, or engineered, poses a persistent global biosecurity and public health challenge. Recent outbreaks, including COVID-19, Lassa fever, Marburg virus, mpox, and avian influenza, underscore the urgent need for robust systems that enable rapid surveillance, early diagnosis, and timely countermeasures before widespread human transmission occurs. In this article, we focus on early detection technologies and systematically evaluate current diagnostic and sensing modalities. We highlight sequencing and spectroscopy as two complementary approaches capable of providing broad, agnostic detection and rich biological insight. Our analysis emphasizes that scientific innovation alone is insufficient: effective preparedness also requires improved data curation, integration, and sharing to build AI-ready resources that accelerate future responses. We argue for coordinated advances in both technological capabilities and supporting infrastructure to enable the rapid identification and characterization of emerging pathogens and to fully leverage modern science against evolving infectious threats.