vermicon AG and HTS Labs Frankfurt GmbH are partners in the federal project AMELAG for wastewater monitoring for epidemiological situation assessment
Hallbergmoos / Neu-Isenburg, 19.12.2023 - vermicon AG and HTS Labs Frankfurt GmbH announce their active participation in the nationwide project on wastewater monitoring for epidemiological situation assessment (AMELAG). Together, they are monitoring numerous wastewater treatment plants in Germany for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. The cooperation relies on innovative technologies and digitalised logistics solutions to make monitoring more efficient and accurate.
The AMELAG project, which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) and carried out in cooperation with the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and the Federal Environment Agency (UBA), will run from April 2023 to December 2024. The aim of the project is to monitor the viral load in wastewater independently of individual testing or reporting to the health authorities. In addition to analyzing SARS-CoV-2 viruses, the possibility of monitoring other pathogens such as influenza, polioviruses, RSV, health-relevant bacteria, viruses, fungi and antibiotic resistance is also being examined. As part of the overall project, samples from up to 175 wastewater treatment plants throughout Germany have been analyzed for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 viruses on a weekly basis since the beginning of October.
vermicon AG, a pioneer in the field of wastewater microbiology, has developed specifically optimised qPCR test kits for the analysis of wastewater samples. In co-operation with HTS Labs Frankfurt GmbH, an expert in high-throughput analysis, these test kits are used for the SARS-CoV-2 wastewater monitoring in the laboratory facilities of HTS. The cooperation combines high-throughput capacities with the highest level of microbial expertise.
Dr Jiri Snaidr, microbiologist and CEO of vermicon AG, points out: "Wastewater-based epidemiology not only enables cost-effective and individual-independent monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 viruses, moreover, it allows for reliable holistic health management in the background. Wastewater treatment plants, with their unique wastewater data pool, thus become important control centres". Dr Michael Bonin, CEO of HTS Labs Frankfurt, adds: "The cooperation with vermicon AG enables high-performance analytics through the combination of high-throughput capacity and microbial expertise. In addition, we prioritise digital solutions because, as our previous experience as part of the CKM Group and CoviMedical has shown, these play an important role in being able to react quickly and effectively to challenges without the need to set up additional infrastructure."
Both companies combine their expertise and many years of experience in wastewater microbiology and SARS-CoV-2 monitoring so that wastewater monitoring can be further developed as a preventive tool for public health and contribute to the early detection of infection processes.
About vermicon AG: Since its foundation in 1997, vermicon AG has systematically dealt with the most important topics of biological wastewater treatment and cooperates with experts worldwide to bring the performance of biological treatment to the highest level through continuous monitoring of the biocoenosis. As a pioneer in the field of wastewater microbiology, the company is additionally dedicated to wastewater-based epidemiology since 2020. For the establishment of robust and highly specific detection systems for the analysis of SARS-CoV-2, influenza viruses and other parameters in wastewater and the associated sewer systems, vermicon AG successfully cooperates with experts from the wastewater management sector.
About HTS Labs: HTS Labs Frankfurt GmbH is a high-throughput analytical laboratory based in Neu-Isenburg, Germany, which was founded in 2022 as part of the CKM Group headquartered in Herborn, Germany. The CKM Group, in which HTS Labs represents the laboratory expertise, has grown into one of the largest private providers for pandemic prevention in Germany in a very short time during the corona pandemic with the help of an extensive network from various industries and the bundling of different expertise. Following the pandemic, the Group has set itself the goal of contributing to a healthier world with smart diagnostics and disruptive innovations in the healthcare sector and making personalised prevention possible for everyone. CKM combines professional and efficient project management with planning and organisational talent, doctors and biologists and can draw on many years of experience in highly complex logistics and sample management. In order to come closer to the vision of a healthier world, the CKM Group is complemented by other companies, such as the airport clinic at Franz-Josef Strauss Airport in Munich (Munich Airport Clinic), thus enabling low-threshold analysis of different groups of people and pathogens.