Biobot Analytics: Transforming Sewage into a Public Health Tool

Biobot Analytics, a company founded by two students from MIT, has reimagined the unpleasant task of sewage management into a significant tool for public health. The company has developed methods to analyze wastewater from treatment facilities, providing early warnings about COVID-19 outbreaks—sometimes days before hospitals or testing locations confirmed cases. This innovation proved particularly useful during lockdowns, alerting officials about the spread of the virus at a time when collective anxiety was high.

Media outlets began monitoring wastewater trends similarly to weather patterns, and Biobot quickly became a reliable resource for agencies such as the CDC and various municipalities.

However, the landscape has changed since the pandemic. Wastewater testing has now become a standard public health measure, not just a temporary solution. For instance, in 2023, the CDC ended its contract with Biobot, opting for a solution provided by a Google-affiliated firm. Massachusetts will also conclude its financial support for Biobot on July 31, transitioning to its own testing program, which officials believe will be more cost-effective.

“I strive for Biobot to remain a trusted source of information,” expressed Mariana Matus, Biobot’s CEO. “Losing the state contract is disheartening for us, but I see it as a misstep.”

Despite these changes, Biobot maintains a diverse client base, focusing on broader surveillance initiatives that examine various health indicators, which some state programs may overlook.

Matus and her co-founder, Newsha Ghaeli, established the company in 2017 while studying at MIT. It has since secured over $40 million in funding.

“Honestly, I got into science after watching ‘Jurassic Park,’” Matus chuckled. “I wanted to leverage science to make a meaningful difference.”

In essence, wastewater contains genetic material shed by individuals infected with various viruses and pathogens. By testing wastewater, scientists can gauge the prevalence of these diseases in communities. Biobot uses a technique called metagenomic sequencing, enabling it to analyze a single wastewater sample for thousands of viruses and microbes simultaneously.

Matus developed a keen interest in this field as a doctoral student, convinced that wastewater surveillance could quickly offer insights into community health — everything from infectious diseases to trends in drug usage. Moreover, while wastewater monitoring has been used outside the U.S. for some time, particularly in Europe and Australia, it wasn’t available commercially in America until Biobot emerged.

“We aim to turn wastewater systems into public health observatories,” she stated. “We’re on a journey to develop this into an expansive data platform.”

The company gained traction quickly, attracting partners while new competitors began to emerge.

For instance, in 2014, Biobot’s sequencing capabilities helped identify early indications of avian flu in wastewater, predating officials’ awareness of its spread among livestock. Similarly, signals of measles were detected months before reported outbreaks in various cities.

More recently, a collaboration between Biobot and Nantucket’s Department of Public Health in 2023 allowed monitoring of illicit drug activity. Regular tests showed elevated cocaine levels that ultimately led to significant drug trafficking arrests—what was described by authorities as the largest seizure in the department’s history.

Nantucket Police Chief Jody Kasper mentioned that information from Biobot proved instrumental in understanding community drug trends. Although the data isn’t directly linked to criminal cases, it provided critical insights into the nature of substance use in the area.

“Our Detective Division has been actively addressing narcotics issues for the past two years, resulting in multiple arrests,” Kasper added.

According to Marc Johnson, a virologist at the University of Missouri, the wastewater testing has unveiled startling levels of cocaine usage across the nation, along with silent disease spread that might otherwise remain unnoticed.

After Biobot’s CDC contract ended in July 2023, the agency partnered with Verily, a Google-affiliated health tech firm, alongside Emory and Stanford for a new initiative called WastewaterSCAN.

Gathering wastewater data from federal, state, local, and private sites now encompasses about 41 percent of the U.S. population, as noted by Margaret Honein of the CDC.

Interestingly, Massachusetts did extend Biobot’s contract for a month to adapt to the influx of visitors during the World Cup, during which Biobot launched a public dashboard showcasing wastewater data across several cities, including Boston, and highlighting its capability to detect many viruses in single samples.

As mentioned by Catherine Brown, the state’s epidemiologist, federal funding initially jumpstarted wastewater testing in Massachusetts. However, as the emergency phase of the pandemic subsided, the focus shifted to building state capacity for testing, rather than relying solely on external vendors.

Moving forward, Massachusetts intends to streamline its testing program, scaling back from 60 to just 12 large municipal facilities to monitor the health trends effectively while managing costs. Brown shared that despite Biobot’s advanced capabilities, the state doesn’t find a need for more expansive testing at this time.

“You can test for a plethora of pathogens,” she acknowledged. “But what are we really aiming to test, and how actionable are the results?”

Similar trends are observed in other states like Maine, Rhode Island, and Ohio, as they develop or enhance their wastewater surveillance. Matus noted that this movement signifies a recognition of wastewater monitoring’s value, but it could also lead to unnecessary overlap in efforts.

“Independence from private companies can be positive, yet it also risks stagnating progress as technology evolves swiftly,” she remarked, suggesting that maintaining a balance between in-house and private sector capabilities could maximize effectiveness.

For now, Biobot’s public dashboard continues to report on various pathogens while cooperatively working with several communities and agencies across 40 states. They’re also engaged with federal bodies and vaccine developers, offering insights into disease spread.

“Despite the challenges, our company is doing quite well,” Matus stated confidently.

She emphasized that government labs and private firms can play distinct roles. Where many state laboratories focus on monitoring a limited number of diseases, Biobot is committed to expanding its technological capacities to encompass a wide array of pathogens.

“I have optimism for the long-term perspective because the possibilities are immense,” she concluded.

Matus drew an analogy, likening wastewater surveillance to early smartphone technology. “If you had asked individuals about the necessity of an iPhone before its debut, they likely would have dismissed it. I believe we’re experiencing something similar with wastewater epidemiology.” She recalled skepticism surrounding their work at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which, over time, has garnered acceptance as a vital component of public health.