Karius provides advanced infectious disease diagnostics by detecting microbial cell-free DNA using metagenomic sequencing. Their proprietary tests, like Karius Spectrum and Karius Focus, offer rapid and comprehensive pathogen identification for difficult-to-diagnose systemic infections. This genomic approach delivers timely microbial insights to guide provider treatment decisions.
Funding
$100M raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
GHFounders
Product
Problem
Patients with deep‑seated or lung infections often receive inconclusive results from culture‑based or targeted molecular tests, leading to delayed or missed diagnoses and suboptimal treatment decisions.
Solution
Karius offers clinical metagenomic sequencing of microbial cell‑free DNA (mcfDNA) from plasma (Karius Spectrum) and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (Karius Focus | BAL). The platform extracts circulating pathogen DNA, sequences it, and applies proprietary reference genome databases combined with machine‑learning algorithms to identify bacteria, fungi, DNA viruses, and parasites in a single assay. Results are delivered through a secure, CLIA‑ and CAP‑certified laboratory portal, enabling clinicians to obtain a comprehensive pathogen profile within a clinically relevant timeframe. By bypassing the need for organism culture, the service supports rapid, unbiased diagnosis of systemic and pulmonary infections that are difficult to detect with conventional methods.
Target Audience
Primary users are infectious disease specialists, pulmonologists, critical‑care physicians, transplant and oncology teams, and hospital laboratory directors who need comprehensive, timely pathogen identification for complex systemic or pulmonary infections.
Features
- Metagenomic sequencing of mcfDNA from plasma detects >1,000 microbial species (bacteria, fungi, DNA viruses, parasites) associated with systemic infections.
- BAL‑based mcfDNA sequencing (Karius Focus | BAL) identifies >500 pathogens relevant to lung infections, including opportunistic organisms in immunocompromised patients.
- Proprietary, continuously updated reference genome database ensures high‑resolution taxonomic classification.
- Real‑time analysis pipeline powered by advanced machine‑learning models for rapid interpretation of complex genomic data.
- CLIA‑88 high‑complexity laboratory certification and CAP accreditation guarantee regulatory compliance and analytical quality.
- Secure, HIPAA‑compliant web portal provides clinicians with detailed reports, organism abundance metrics, and downloadable data files.
- Integrated clinical evidence library and pathogen list resources to support result interpretation and antimicrobial stewardship.