Delve Bio Expands Metagenomic Infectious Disease Testing with Launch of Delve Detect Plasma at IDWeek 2026

New blood-based pathogen test enables unbiased detection of more than 68,000 bacteria, fungi, DNA and RNA viruses, and parasites with next-day results.

IDWeek presentations highlight Delve Detect’s impact on clinical diagnosis, treatment, and management of patients with challenging infections.

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Delve Bio, Inc., a UCSF spin-out and pioneer in metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) for infectious diseases, today announced the launch of Delve Detect Plasma, expanding its testing menu beyond cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to enable more comprehensive pathogen detection from a single blood sample. The company will introduce the test and present new clinical data demonstrating the utility of the Delve Detect platform in challenging infectious disease cases at IDWeek 2026, taking place Oct. 21–24 in Washington, D.C.

Conventional infectious disease testing requires clinicians to suspect a certain pathogen or group of pathogens in advance, leading to multiple rounds of costly, time-consuming testing while patients are waiting for answers and optimal care. Delve Detect takes a different approach, allowing physicians to order a test that looks comprehensively for all pathogens. The new clinical data highlights the impact on patients who may have unusual presentations, exposure to atypical pathogens, or compromised immune systems.

Delve Detect Plasma is the second test in the company’s portfolio, following Delve Detect CSF, which was designed for patients with suspected meningitis or encephalitis. Delve Detect Plasma extends the company’s proprietary Delve Decide mNGS technology to a more accessible sample type across more patients. Delve Detect Plasma analyzes both DNA and RNA from the sample to identify pathogens based on the company’s curated database of more than 68,000 bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites, with results available the day after sample receipt.

“For complex cases where patients are receiving broad and empiric therapies, getting the right answer quickly can inform treatment decisions and get patients on the most appropriate therapy sooner,” said Brad Murray, founder and CEO of Delve Bio. “Clinicians need a more comprehensive, cost-effective way to look for causes of infections without relying on multiple cycles of targeted testing. Delve Detect Plasma brings our proven metagenomic sequencing approach to a simple blood sample, providing a more complete view of potential pathogens with DNA or RNA genomes within a clinically relevant timeframe.”

Expanding the Clinical Utility of Metagenomic Sequencing

Delve Bio and its collaborators will present three studies at IDWeek 2026, highlighting the clinical and diagnostic capabilities of mNGS in challenging infectious disease scenarios. The studies demonstrate how mNGS-based testing can identify hard-to-detect neuroinvasive arboviruses, characterize enterovirus linked to serious central nervous system infections, and detect neurotropic astrovirus in immunocompromised patients. Together, the findings demonstrate how a single metagenomic test can identify unexpected pathogens while providing genomic information that may help clinicians determine the most appropriate treatment for their patients.

“The advantage of metagenomic sequencing is that we don’t have to know exactly what we’re looking for before we start testing,” said Charles Chiu, MD, PhD, cofounder of Delve Bio and professor of laboratory medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. “This approach can be especially valuable in complex cases, where evaluating a wider range of potential causes of infection may help us identify something that conventional testing could miss. With Delve Detect Plasma, critically ill patients with systemic infections can now be tested with our mNGS platform through a simple blood draw.”

Featured Scientific Poster Presentations

Clinical Characteristics of Neuroinvasive Arbovirus Infections Detected by Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing
Poster number: P-658
Session: Diagnostics: Virology
Location: Poster Hall B-C
Date / time: Thursday, Oct. 22 | 12:15 pm – 1:30 pm ET

Enterovirus Subtyping Using Unbiased Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing for Patients with Enteroviral Meningoencephalitis
Poster number: P-659
Session: Diagnostics: Virology
Location: Poster Hall B-C
Date / time: Thursday, Oct. 22 | 12:15 pm – 1:30 pm ET

Neurotropic Astrovirus VA Strain Detected by CSF Metagenomic Sequencing in Immunocompromised Hosts: A Case Series
Poster number: P-587
Session: CNS Infection
Location: Poster Hall B-C
Date / time: Saturday, Oct. 24 | 12:15 pm – 1:30 pm ET

IDWeek 2026 attendees are invited to meet with Delve Bio’s scientific and medical leadership team at booth #411 in the conference exhibit hall to learn more about Delve Detect Plasma, discuss the company’s latest clinical data, and explore the expanding role of mNGS in infectious disease diagnostics.

About Delve Bio

Delve Bio is a metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) company dedicated to improving infectious disease diagnosis. Its pathogen-agnostic platform enables broad detection of routine and rare pathogens from a single test. Delve Detect, the company’s flagship testing service, delivers comprehensive results the day after sample receipt and includes access to the Clinical Microbial Sequencing Board, an on-call team of infectious disease and laboratory medicine experts who provide clinical context for results. The company was founded by leaders in genomics and infectious disease, including Drs. Charles Chiu, Joe DeRisi, Michael Wilson, Pardis Sabeti, and Matthew Meyerson, and is backed by institutional investors including Perceptive Xontogeny Venture Fund II, Section 32, and GV. The Delve Detect tests are performed in a CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited laboratory. For more information, visit www.delve.bio.