Preparedness Highlight
InFocus • Spring 2025 Issue • May 27, 2025
The Molecular Microbiology Development Team, led by Drs. Kyle Rodino and Laurel Glaser, bridges the expertise and skill of the Laboratory Medicine (Laura Cowden, Kathrine McAulay, Mei Yu) and Precision and Computational Diagnostics (Sarah Herlihy, Caren Gentile, Alicia Carlin) Divisions to develop, validate, and implement innovative infectious diseases diagnostics in the Clinical Microbiology and Rittenhouse Molecular Laboratories. A key focus of the team, influenced by lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, is ensuring emerging pathogen preparedness. The team assesses potential threats by interfacing with the HUP Bioresponse Program, Emerging Infections Committee, Infection Prevention Alliance, and Health Care Epidemiologists MD Alliance. These partnerships across Penn Medicine help identify diagnostic gaps and opportunities for the development team to provide solutions, to ensure the health system is prepared for the next epidemic/pandemic. Prior preparedness efforts include a laboratory developed test (LDT) to detect Mpox, making Penn Medicine one of just 89 high-complexity CLIA-certified laboratories in the country with an Emergency Use Authorization approved assay.
Recently, the team has been focused on the emergence of H5N1 avian influenza. As a preparedness effort, and in response to requests for increased H5N1 surveillance by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), PA Bureau of Laboratories, and Philadelphia Department of Health, the team has developed, validated, and implemented a high-throughput, automated LDT to screen influenza A positive samples for the H5N1 subtype. This test will bolster surveillance in the Penn Medicine catchment, providing early detection if H5N1 begins to spread and rapid testing availability in the region should a clinical need arise.
