Corona early warning system: wastewater-based epidemiology from Hallbergmoos

Less plastic waste and faster predictions: the vermicon team led by founder and CEO Dr. Jiri Snaidr has been working on a wastewater-based corona early warning system since the beginning of the year. With success: the system is now in use throughout Germany.

From the idea to implementation

The coronavirus has been part of our everyday lives since the start of the pandemic. Although rapid tests are currently fading into the background, they are still preferred by politicians to detect coronavirus disease. This creates a lot of plastic waste and the positive (or negative) tests do not reflect reality. For a more sustainable and prognostically objective system, vermicon AG has been working with HPC AG since the beginning of 2021. The companies have developed a wastewater-based coronavirus early warning system. It detects SARS-CoV-2 viruses in wastewater at an early stage without affecting the population. Dr. Jiri Snaidr has invested in materials and personnel to implement the idea. The goal: to get started on the market as quickly as possible. The vision: a future without rapid tests. The method is now used throughout Germany. vermicon AG has even extended the wastewater-based system to the detection of influenza viruses.

How does the corona early warning system work?

In a first step, HPC AG takes raw wastewater samples from the inlet of wastewater treatment plants or directly from the sewer system. This sample is concentrated and purified in the vermicon AG laboratories. Using a special PCR test, all SARS-CoV-2 virus particles are detected and quantified. The collected results are then displayed on the dashboard of the VIT® Vision software and issued to the customer. Industrial plants and office buildings can also be easily integrated into the system. The aim is to map reality quickly and accurately. The process enables vemicon AG to provide information about the coronavirus infection dynamics one to two weeks earlier than the incidence rates and to get a glimpse into the future.

Corona early warning system: special equipment makes it possible to analyze microorganisms

In addition to the basic laboratory equipment provided by Skygate in the Munich Airport Business Park (MABP), vermicon AG requires a special qPCR analyzer and the associated software to be able to make wastewater-based coronavirus and influenza virus forecasts. The company uses its own VIT® Vision software to transmit the data. One advantage of the specially developed dashboard is that recipients can call up the test results directly online. The visual presentation of the results using figures and graphs is just as convenient – a real forecasting tool.

What does vermicon AG actually do?

Although the detection of coronaviruses is new territory for vermicon AG, the procedure is already familiar: vermicon AG has been active in the field of wastewater microbiology and wastewater monitoring for 25 years. The company’s focus is on direct and real microbiology. In other words, the detection of all microorganisms in a sample without being limited by technology.

Advantages of research at Munich Airport Business Park in Hallbergmoos

vermicon AG greatly appreciates its laboratory premises in the Munich Airport Business Park. Dr. Jiri Snaidr emphasizes: “We love our location in Hallbergmoos because we have found optimal conditions for our work here. In addition to competent landlords, we also have the impression that we are wanted and listened to by the community. Communication at eye level results in short distances and therefore quick solutions. It is exciting to witness the gradual development of Hallbergmoos into a new biotechnology location and to be one of the first companies to play an active role in shaping it.”

You can find more interesting news about companies from Hallbergmoos or the growing biotech cluster in the Business menu under the Companies category.

Would you like to learn more about the Corona Early Warning System or about wastewater-based health management in general? Then register for the vermicon AG webinars: https://www.vermicon.com/de/corona/webinar.

Images (c) vermicon AG