Boston– Delve Bio has unveiled new data demonstrating that its flagship metagenomic test, Delve Detect CSF, offers broader and more accurate pathogen identification compared to traditional infectious disease testing. The findings were presented at the 2025 American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Microbe conference in Los Angeles and highlight the growing potential of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in diagnosing serious central nervous system (CNS) infections.
The study compared Delve Detect CSF with a commonly used PCR-based meningitis/encephalitis (ME) panel by reanalyzing 122 cerebrospinal fluid samples, including both positive and negative results. While the ME panel had a 38% positivity rate, Delve Detect reached 48%, providing an additive diagnostic yield of 24%. Notably, the mNGS test identified 16 unique pathogens not included in the PCR panel, including multiple co-infections and 19 cases that tested negative on the traditional panel.
Dr. Benjamin Bradley, Medical Director of Virology and Molecular Infectious Diseases at ARUP Laboratories, noted that Delve Detect offered crucial diagnostic insights that would have been missed otherwise. He emphasized that mNGS should be incorporated into diagnostic workflows for complex CNS infections, especially when traditional tests fall short.
Even among samples that were negative on both platforms, Delve Detect showed 95% agreement with the ME panel, reinforcing its strong negative predictive value. In addition to broader pathogen coverage, Delve Detect provides results within 48 hours of receiving a sample, allowing clinicians to make timely and targeted treatment decisions.
Delve Bio also presented additional data and case studies during the ASM Microbe conference. These included a featured poster describing how mNGS helped diagnose a rare Moraxella infection in a patient with a culture-negative shunt infection, and a clinical session hosted by Chief Medical Officer Dr. Steve Miller, focusing on the real-world impact of mNGS in laboratory and clinical settings.
CEO Brad Murray said the technology marks a significant shift in infectious disease diagnostics. “Delve Detect is helping clinicians uncover the causes of infections that would otherwise go undiagnosed. It’s an essential tool for neurologists, infectious disease specialists, and lab teams working against the clock,” he said.
Delve Detect is part of the company’s broader metagenomic platform, which includes access to its proprietary Delve Decide bioinformatics engine and a Clinical Microbial Sequencing Board—an on-call team of experts who review test results in clinical context. Together, these tools aim to deliver faster, more definitive answers in cases where traditional diagnostics often fall short.
