16 hours ago
New Data Show Delve Bio's Metagenomic Testing Delivers Broader, Deeper Pathogen Identification Compared to Traditional Testing
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Delve Bio, a pioneer in metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) for infectious diseases, today announced data presented at the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Microbe conference in Los Angeles showing the impact of metagenomic sequencing for transforming infectious disease diagnostics by offering advances compared to traditional microbiological testing.
"Delve Bio's metagenomic sequencing technology enables clinicians to identify the cause of serious central nervous system infections when existing methods do not and speed is critical' said Brad Murray, chief executive officer of Delve Bio.
Among the data presented at the meeting is a comparison of Delve's metagenomic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) test, Delve Detect CSF, compared to a traditional PCR-based meningitis/encephalitis (ME) panel. The study reanalyzed samples from a diverse patient cohort previously tested using the ME panel. The data showed that mNGS can be used in conjunction with microbiological testing to increase diagnostic yield by identifying pathogens that are not detectable with traditional, pathogen-specific panel testing. The inclusion of mNGS tests like Delve Detect, which has a 48-hour turnaround time, can shorten time to diagnosis, enabling clinicians to initiate targeted therapies sooner.
'This study showed substantial agreement between Delve Detect and a syndromic PCR panel. But importantly, Delve Detect also identified pathogens that were not included on the PCR panel and would have been missed as causes of a patient's infection if mNGS were not included in the diagnostic workup,' said Benjamin Bradley, M.D., Ph.D., medical director of virology and molecular infectious diseases at ARUP Laboratories. 'This study supports including mNGS in the diagnostic workup for patients with complex central nervous system infections.'
The study included 122 samples — 47 positive and 75 negative. Analysis showed that in comparison with the ME panel, Delve Detect CSF demonstrated approximately 10% higher positivity rate (48% vs. 38%), with an additive diagnostic yield of 24%. This added yield included detection of multiple co-infections, 16 unique organisms not included in the ME panel, and positive detections in 19 samples (25%) that were negative by the ME panel. Additionally, in samples that were negative by both tests, Delve Detect CSF showed high agreement (95%) with the ME panel, supporting the negative predictive value of mNGS.
The company's full presence at ASM Microbe 2025 includes:
Delve's chief medical officer Steve Miller, M.D., Ph.D. hosted A New Era: Metagenomic Sequencing for Comprehensive Pathogen Detection, exploring real world evidence, clinical cases and considerations for laboratory teams implementing mNGS.
Presentation of a case report in a feature poster, Using Metagenomic Sequencing to Diagnose a Novel Moraxella CNS Shunt Infection in a Culture-Negative Case
Presentation of data comparing the company's mNGS CSF test, Delve Detect, to a widely used, PCR meningitis/encephalitis panel as part of the session Assessing the Clinical Impact of Next-Generation Sequencing: Where Are We Now?
'These presentations at ASM highlight the transformation underway in infectious disease diagnostics. Delve Bio's metagenomic sequencing technology enables clinicians to identify the cause of serious central nervous system infections when existing methods do not deliver a diagnosis and speed is critical,' said Brad Murray, chief executive officer of Delve Bio. 'We're working to make this technology more widely available to neurologists, infectious disease physicians and laboratory teams so they can get patients the answers they need.'
Conference attendees are also invited to visit Delve Bio at booth #1440 to learn more about the company's metagenomic platform, including Delve Detect and its proprietary bioinformatics platform Delve Decide.
Delve Detect is Delve Bio's flagship metagenomic testing service, providing comprehensive pathogen detection with a 48-hour turnaround time after sample receipt and including access to Delve's Clinical Microbial Sequencing Board, an on-call team of infectious disease experts who review results in clinical context.
About Delve Bio, Inc.
Delve Bio is a metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) company that empowers laboratories and clinicians with the insights they need to confidently diagnose routine and rare infectious diseases, thereby minimizing the impact of harmful pathogens on humanity. By leveraging its unbiased, pathogen-agnostic mNGS platform, Delve Bio is able to identify a wide range of pathogens with a single test. Founded by world leaders in genomics and infectious disease Drs. Charles Chiu, Joe DeRisi, Michael Wilson, Pardis Sabeti, and Matthew Meyerson, the company is backed by top institutional investors including Perceptive Xontogeny Venture Fund II, Section 32, and GV, along with leading individual investors. For more information, visit
