Biobot Analytics for Bloomberg Businessweek
September 6, 2020

Analytical Chemist Katelyn Foppe holds a tube with a wastewater sample with obvious particulate matter in the lab of Biobot Analytics in The Engine, a venture capital company founded by MIT and located in Central Square not far from the MIT campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, on Fri., May 22, 2020. Biobot has taken samples from approximately 400 cities around the United States and uses them to analyze COVID-19 infection rates. The company has developed a method to measure SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, in wastewater which they say can help identify viral outbreak locations and measure infection rates across populations independent of other testing and reporting efforts. As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic worsened, Biobot allowed municipalities to request their COVID-19 analysis, and quickly reached capacity. The company has been rapidly expanding to meet demand. Dr. Eric Alm, Biobot's scientific co-founder and a Professor of Biological Engineering at MIT, said of the bank of samples, which represents 400 cities and about 10% of the United States population, "You probably know someone who pooped in this water."
Dr. Eric Alm, Biobot's scientific co-founder and a Professor of Biological Engineering at MIT, prepare wastewater samples for RNA extraction, including RNA from coronavirus in the sample, for COVID-19 analysis in the lab of Biobot Analytics, a company that analyzes waste water and sewage to find trends in virus infections, opioid use, and other epidemiological data about municipalities around the US, seen here in lab space at The Engine, a venture capital company founded by MIT and located in Central Square not far from the MIT campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, on Fri., May 22, 2020. The company has developed a method to measure SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, in wastewater which they say can help identify viral outbreak locations and measure infection rates across populations independent of other testing and reporting efforts. As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic worsened, Biobot allowed municipalities to request their COVID-19 analysis, and quickly reached capacity. The company has been rapidly expanding to meet demand. Alm said of the samples collected by the lab, which represent 400 cities and about 10% of the United States population, "You probably know someone who pooped in this water."

In early April, during the first few weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, I heard about a lab in the Boston area that was testing municipal waste water and sewage as a way of discovering COVID-19 infection rates in a community. After a little research, I pitched the story of Biobot Analytics to Bloomberg Businessweek, and happily, editors there were interested. A few weeks later, I was in the lab on a late Friday afternoon, photographing the lab in operation as they organized hundreds of samples, prepped water for analysis, and collated data. I also had a short portrait session with one of Biobot's founders and CEO,

As it turns out, the lab was an offshoot of the Eric Alm's lab at MIT, which also started the OpenBiome project, photographed in 2014 for the Chronicle of Higher Education.

A big thanks to editors Jane and Ryan for helping make this story end up in print!

Dr. Mariana Matus, cofounder and CEO of Biobot Analytics, (right) and Analytical Chemist Katelyn Foppe organize wastewater samples in the lab of Biobot Analytics, a company that analyzes waste water and sewage to find trends in virus infections, opioid use, and other epidemiological data about municipalities around the US, at The Engine, a venture capital company founded by MIT and located in Central Square not far from the MIT campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, on Fri., May 22, 2020. The company has developed a method to measure SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, in wastewater which they say can help identify viral outbreak locations and measure infection rates across populations independent of other testing and reporting efforts. As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic worsened, Biobot allowed municipalities to request their COVID-19 analysis, and quickly reached capacity. The company has been rapidly expanding to meet demand. Dr. Eric Alm, Biobot's scientific co-founder and a Professor of Biological Engineering at MIT, said of the samples collected so far, which represent 400 cities and about 10% of the United States population, "You probably know someone who pooped in this water."
Analytical Chemist Katelyn Foppe sorts samples of wastewater from approximately 400 cities around the United States used in COVID-19 analysis in the lab of Biobot Analytics, a company that analyzes waste water and sewage to find trends in virus infections, opioid use, and other epidemiological data about municipalities around the US, at The Engine, a venture capital company founded by MIT and located in Central Square not far from the MIT campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, on Fri., May 22, 2020. The company has developed a method to measure SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, in wastewater which they say can help identify viral outbreak locations and measure infection rates across populations independent of other testing and reporting efforts. As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic worsened, Biobot allowed municipalities to request their COVID-19 analysis, and quickly reached capacity. The company has been rapidly expanding to meet demand. Dr. Eric Alm, Biobot's scientific co-founder and a Professor of Biological Engineering at MIT, said of the bank of samples, which represents 400 cities and about 10% of the United States population, "You probably know someone who pooped in this water."
Samples of wastewater from approximately 400 cities around the United States used in COVID-19 analysis are seen in a fridge in the lab of Biobot Analytics, a company that analyzes waste water and sewage to find trends in virus infections, opioid use, and other epidemiological data about municipalities around the US, seen here in lab space at The Engine, a venture capital company founded by MIT and located in Central Square not far from the MIT campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, on Fri., May 22, 2020. The company has developed a method to measure SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, in wastewater which they say can help identify viral outbreak locations and measure infection rates across populations independent of other testing and reporting efforts. As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic worsened, Biobot allowed municipalities to request their COVID-19 analysis, and quickly reached capacity. The company has been rapidly expanding to meet demand. Dr. Eric Alm, Biobot's scientific co-founder and a Professor of Biological Engineering at MIT, said of the bank of samples, which represents 400 cities and about 10% of the United States population, "You probably know someone who pooped in this water."
Dr. Mariana Matus is the cofounder and CEO of Biobot Analytics, a company that analyzes waste water and sewage to find trends in virus infections, opioid use, and other epidemiological data about municipalities around the US. The company is based in a small chemical lab in The Engine, a venture capital company founded by MIT and located in Central Square not far from the MIT campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. She is seen here on Fri., May 22, 2020. The company has developed a method to measure SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, in wastewater which they say can help identify viral outbreak locations and measure infection rates across populations independent of other testing and reporting efforts. As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic worsened, Biobot allowed municipalities to request their COVID-19 analysis, and quickly reached capacity at about 400 municipalities, which represent about 10% of the United States' population. The company has been rapidly expanding to meet demand.
Dr. Eric Alm, Biobot's scientific co-founder and a Professor of Biological Engineering at MIT, prepare wastewater samples for RNA extraction, including RNA from coronavirus in the sample, for COVID-19 analysis in the lab of Biobot Analytics, a company that analyzes waste water and sewage to find trends in virus infections, opioid use, and other epidemiological data about municipalities around the US, seen here in lab space at The Engine, a venture capital company founded by MIT and located in Central Square not far from the MIT campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, on Fri., May 22, 2020. The company has developed a method to measure SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, in wastewater which they say can help identify viral outbreak locations and measure infection rates across populations independent of other testing and reporting efforts. As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic worsened, Biobot allowed municipalities to request their COVID-19 analysis, and quickly reached capacity. The company has been rapidly expanding to meet demand. Alm said of the samples collected by the lab, which represent 400 cities and about 10% of the United States population, "You probably know someone who pooped in this water."
Research Scientist Kyle McElroy (left) and Analytical Chemist Katelyn Foppe work with wastewater samples in the lab of Biobot Analytics, a company that analyzes waste water and sewage to find trends in virus infections, opioid use, and other epidemiological data about municipalities around the US, at The Engine, a venture capital company founded by MIT and located in Central Square not far from the MIT campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, on Fri., May 22, 2020. The company has developed a method to measure SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, in wastewater which they say can help identify viral outbreak locations and measure infection rates across populations independent of other testing and reporting efforts. As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic worsened, Biobot allowed municipalities to request their COVID-19 analysis, and quickly reached capacity. The company has been rapidly expanding to meet demand. Dr. Eric Alm, Biobot's scientific co-founder and a Professor of Biological Engineering at MIT, said of the samples collected so far, which represent 400 cities and about 10% of the United States population, "You probably know someone who pooped in this water."
Dr. Eric Alm, Biobot's scientific co-founder and a Professor of Biological Engineering at MIT, prepare wastewater samples for RNA extraction, including RNA from coronavirus in the sample, for COVID-19 analysis in the lab of Biobot Analytics, a company that analyzes waste water and sewage to find trends in virus infections, opioid use, and other epidemiological data about municipalities around the US, seen here in lab space at The Engine, a venture capital company founded by MIT and located in Central Square not far from the MIT campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, on Fri., May 22, 2020. The company has developed a method to measure SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, in wastewater which they say can help identify viral outbreak locations and measure infection rates across populations independent of other testing and reporting efforts. As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic worsened, Biobot allowed municipalities to request their COVID-19 analysis, and quickly reached capacity. The company has been rapidly expanding to meet demand. Alm said of the samples collected by the lab, which represent 400 cities and about 10% of the United States population, "You probably know someone who pooped in this water."
Between the legs of Analytical Chemist Katelyn Foppe, samples of wastewater from approximately 400 cities around the United States used in COVID-19 analysis are seen in a fridge in the lab of Biobot Analytics, a company that analyzes waste water and sewage to find trends in virus infections, opioid use, and other epidemiological data about municipalities around the US, seen here in lab space at The Engine, a venture capital company founded by MIT and located in Central Square not far from the MIT campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, on Fri., May 22, 2020. The company has developed a method to measure SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, in wastewater which they say can help identify viral outbreak locations and measure infection rates across populations independent of other testing and reporting efforts. As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic worsened, Biobot allowed municipalities to request their COVID-19 analysis, and quickly reached capacity. The company has been rapidly expanding to meet demand. Dr. Eric Alm, Biobot's scientific co-founder and a Professor of Biological Engineering at MIT, said of the bank of samples, which represents 400 cities and about 10% of the United States population, "You probably know someone who pooped in this water."
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