A Global Leader in Wastewater Surveillance
End-to-End Molecular Solutions for Wastewater Monitoring. Trusted by Public Health Agencies, Researchers, and Companies Worldwide.
Zymo Research is a trusted leader in wastewater-based epidemiology, partnering with top public health institutions to advance infectious disease monitoring and outbreak prevention. With deep expertise in sample collection and stabilization, nucleic acid purification, and both PCR- and NGS-based molecular analysis, we offer a complete toolkit for high-resolution pathogen detection and antimicrobial resistance tracking. Whether you’re building in-house capabilities or seeking a fully outsourced solution, our technologies and comprehensive services are designed to deliver accurate, actionable insights. By working closely with clinical, academic, and public health experts, we help communities stay ahead of emerging health threats, turning wastewater into a powerful tool for protecting global health.
A New Frontier in Public Health Monitoring
Wastewater surveillance provides a non-invasive snapshot of circulating pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes, supporting genomic epidemiology at scale. Discover how the field is delivering high-resolution, real-time insights into infectious disease dynamics and strengthening public health infrastructure.
Wastewater Stabilization Buffer & Collection Device
Ideal for the storage, preservation, and concentration of liquid samples including water, wastewater, sewage, finished water, natural water, river water, fresh water, salt water, etc.
Comparison of microbial composition in wastewater samples over time with and without Wastewater Stabilization Buffer (WSB). The left panel demonstrates that using WSB preserves microbial composition accurately from Day 0 to Day 7. In contrast, the right panel shows that in the absence of stabilization, microbial composition shifts significantly over time, leading to potential inaccuracies in wastewater-based epidemiology studies.
DNA/RNA Shield™
Ideal for the storage, preservation, and processing of solid samples including water filters, wastewater solids, sludge, concentrated water samples, etc.
DNA/RNA Shield™ preserves nucleic acids at ambient temperatures from the moment of sample collection, eliminating the need for cold-chain shipping and reducing transport costs. DNA remains stable for at least two years, while RNA is preserved for up to 30 days.
Solid wastewater samples collected and homogenized in DNA/RNA Shield™ can be seamlessly transferred to lysis and nucleic acid purification workflows. Additionally, the buffer completely inactivates pathogens including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites, ensuring safe handling. The stabilization solution also protects against degradation from freeze-thaw cycling and unexpected freezer failures, maintaining sample integrity for reliable analysis.
Microbial composition of stool remains unchanged after one month at ambient temperature when collected and stored in DNA/RNA Shield™. Extracted DNA was analyzed via 16S rRNA gene sequencing, confirming that DNA/RNA Shield™ preserves genetic integrity at the point of collection and prevents nucleic acid degradation. This makes it ideal for workflows requiring sensitive downstream analyses, such as Next-Gen Sequencing and RT-PCR.
Viruses, bacteria, and yeast are inactivated by DNA/RNA Shield™. Samples containing infectious agents were treated for 5 minutes with DNA/RNA Shield™ or PBS. Titer (PFU) was subsequently determined by plaque assay. These results were validated by D. Poole and Prof. A Mehle, Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison (Influenza A-D); L. Avena and Dr. A Griffiths, Department of Virology and Immunology at Texas Biomedical Research Institute (Ebola); H. Oh, F. Diaz, and Prof. D. Knipe, Virology Program at Harvard Medical School (HSV-1/2); and Zymo Research Corporation (E. coli, L. fermentum, B. subtilis, and S. cerevisiae).
*Disclaimer: This graph only displays results from E. coli inactivation. Each microbe was tested independently and were combined into one graph for brevity. Bacterial cultures were grown between 108 – 109 cells and yeast cultures were grown between 107 – 108 cells.
Step 2: DNA/RNA Extraction
Quick-DNA/RNA™ Water Kit
The Quick-DNA/RNA™ Water Kit enables efficient purification of inhibitor-free nucleic acids from large water volumes. Designed for total nucleic acid extraction from viruses, bacteria, fungi, and other waterborne pathogens, it supports a wide range of sample types, including low-biomass water, raw wastewater, sewage, sludge, treated water, natural water, rivers, freshwater, and saltwater. Featuring advanced inhibitor removal technology, the Quick-DNA/RNA™ Water Kit recovers high-quality DNA and RNA suitable for sensitive downstream applications such as NGS, qPCR, ddPCR, RT-qPCR, and RT-ddPCR.
A Reliable, Streamlined Purification Solution
Superior Viral Detection in Wastewater
The Quick-DNA/RNA™ Water Kit enhances viral pathogen detection. A) Digital PCR quantified native SARS-CoV-2 (N2 gene) in wastewater eluates extracted with the Quick-DNA/RNA™ Water Kit and other commercial kits (n=3) using the Bio-Rad™ PREvalence ddPCR™ SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater Quantification Kit. B) Heat-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 was spiked into non-positive influent wastewater aliquots at varying concentrations. Viral RNA recovery was quantified by RT-qPCR using the Quick SARS-CoV-2 Multiplex Kit, shown as genome equivalent copies per PCR reaction. The Quick-DNA/RNA™ Water Kit is ideal for SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance, enabling efficient viral nucleic acid recovery.
The Quick-DNA/RNA™ Water Kit enables efficient bacterial and fungal DNA recovery from wastewater. Candida auris and Mycobacterium tuberculosis were spiked into 10 mL of influent wastewater aliquots at varying concentrations, with all targets absent in the native wastewater sample. Nucleic acids were then extracted and purified using the Quick-DNA/RNA™ Water Kit.
A) Bacterial DNA recovery was assessed and quantified by qPCR using the Femto Bacterial DNA Quantification Kit.
B) C. auris (fungi) and M. tuberculosis (bacteria) were measured by qPCR with target-specific primers, with results displayed as colony-forming units (CFU) per PCR reaction.
Our NGS library prep kits and services simplify microbiome profiling, minimizing hands-on time and streamlining wastewater surveillance workflows. Designed for efficiency, our ultra-fast library prep technology ensures a seamless process while delivering consistently accurate results. For a fully outsourced solution, our end-to-end NGS services cover every step, from DNA/RNA purification and library prep to sequencing and advanced bioinformatics analysis. Partner with our expert team to ensure precise, reliable data for your next wastewater-based epidemiology project.
Step 4: Bioinformatic Analysis
Pathogen Monitoring
Zymo Research’s bioinformatics pipeline for wastewater surveillance enables comprehensive detection and quantification of microbial pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, and antimicrobial resistance genes. These tools support high-resolution tracking of variants and strains, offering critical insights into pathogen evolution and transmission. By integrating sequencing data with temporal and spatial metadata, they also uncover trends in microbial community dynamics, providing valuable information for public health decision-making and outbreak response.
VirSieve
Open-source bioinformatics pipeline ideal for detecting viral variants.
VirSieve is an open-source bioinformatics tool designed for high-sensitivity genomic variant detection in challenging sample matrices, such as wastewater. While currently optimized for SARS-CoV-2, the tool is adaptable to a wide range of viral species, providing a streamlined approach to detecting and identifying viral mutations. The pipeline automates key steps, including alignment, primer trimming (if needed), variant calling, and annotation, with a strong emphasis on distinguishing true biological mutations from sequencing artifacts or spurious results. Built around software containers, VirSieve includes pre-built reference data to ensure consistency across runs and between laboratories.
Wastewater Bioinformatic Pipeline Comparison
Comparison of VirSieve and iVar bioinformatics pipelines for SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance and strain identification under increasing PHRED error levels. VirSieve achieves higher MIQ Scores than iVar, particularly at low error rates (q0.1), demonstrating greater reliability in handling sequencing noise.