Automated Sewer Surveillance
What are your thoughts on tracking individuals using their genetic material?
Ultra fast sequencing technology is used to analyze the DNA in harvested waste water, thus screening large populations.
Capitalizing on recent advances in very fast genome sequencing technologies, Sentinel Genetics is pleased to offer its new real-time in-stream wastewater sequencing system. Genetic material is randomly harvested from the waste-stream, usually at the sewage treatment facility. The automated system then prepares the DNA for sequencing and individual samples can be sequenced to the extent necessary to compare it to the National Registry in less than one second. A small bank of sequencers can process tens of thousands of samples each hour.
Sentinel Genetics developed the single strand sequencing technology, which works by quickly pulling strands of DNA through tiny nanoscale pores. Breakthroughs in micro and nanoscale mechanical devices that are small enough to automate preparations with the very small DNA strands have allowed for sequencing prices as low as pennies per thousands. Due to the large amount of non-human DNA that is in a wastewater stream, it was only through this high speed processing of samples at low price that large scale screening of municipal populations could become cost beneficial.
The database of America’s genetic information has been available to law enforcement agencies since the inception of the United States Genomic Registry, but only in the last several years has it been complete enough to look for individuals. The Sentinel Genetics Sequencer data processing system is fully compatible with the Registry and provides advanced algorithms for comparing genomic and partial genomic material against the data in the Registry. By combining the massive throughput of the treatment-facility-based sequencer bank with portable units for signal triangulation through upstream testing, it is possible to track the location of individuals in metropolitan areas.
