Imagine detecting a disease outbreak early enough to prevent its spread, identifying pathogens that threaten native species, improving food safety or uncovering new clues about human health, all by decoding the invisible traces of DNA in the world around us. That’s the power of metagenomics.
At PHF Science, we provide full metagenomic services that turn raw genetic material into actionable insights for health, environment, and food systems.
Why metagenomics?
From a petri dish to a pinch of soil, or even a single drop of wastewater, each can host a bustling metropolis of microbes: bacteria, viruses and fungi among them. Traditional microbiology would isolate each species, one by one, to figure out who’s there. Metagenomics skips that step.
Instead, scientists extract and sequence all the DNA in the sample at once, like reading every page of every book in a library simultaneously. Powerful software then pieces the fragments together, revealing which organisms are present and what their genes could be capable of doing.
Real-world applications
Our Genomics and Bioinformatics team combine decades of experience with access to the latest sequencing technologies to draw insights from genetic material. Working alongside our partners, we provide genomic information that feeds into a range of real-world applications, including:
- Health: providing insights to support decisions in human and animal health.
- Environment: helping understand and monitor ecosystems and natural resources.
- Food and agriculture: supporting safer and more resilient food systems.
Proven in practice
Whether it’s mapping entire microbial communities or tracking environmental DNA (eDNA), we tailor our approach to each project to help our partners uncover hidden patterns and make sense of the data. For some, that means helping design studies from scratch; for others, it’s about deep bioinformatics analysis to interpret complex findings.
As an example, PHF Science worked with Awanui and Te Whatu Ora in Wellington to apply metagenomics in a challenging clinical case. The goal was to test whether this approach could quickly identify a possible rare pathogen for which no standard diagnostic test currently exists.
Ordinarily, a case like this would mean days of culturing the sample – or shipping it overseas for testing – while clinicians wait for answers. Metagenomics changes that. By sequencing all the genetic material at once, our team helped give clinicians the clues they needed to zero in on a diagnosis much faster.
This proof-of-concept showed how metagenomics can aid clinicians when time is critical and standard diagnostics fall short. In the future, it could help doctors prescribe the right treatments sooner, reduce uncertainty, and improve patient outcomes.
“Enormous thanks to the scientists and wider PHF team for getting this done and having such a quick turnaround time! ... the report was fascinating to read and having the mNGS is very helpful.” - Drs Max Bloomfield and Steven McAuley, Te Whatu Ora Capital Coast and Hutt Valley.
As science evolves, so do we. Our genomics services are designed to support researchers, innovators, and decision-makers across Aotearoa and beyond. Whether you’re tackling a public health challenge, safeguarding the environment, or developing the next big breakthrough, PHF Science can help you turn big questions into actionable discoveries, using tools like metagenomics.
Learn more about PHF Science’s genomics specialised solutions.