We are excited to announce that Athenesia Faggins, Ph.D., Director, Analytical Sciences, Minaris Advanced Testing was awarded Best Poster Presenter at the PDA Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMP) Conference 2026.
Athenesia presented “Detection of Adventitious Viruses Using Transcriptome NGS” which details Minaris’ Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) transcriptome method for detecting adventitious viruses in cell banks and other cell substrates and includes data from our recent GMP qualification study.
Advancing Viral Safety with Transcriptome NGS
All viruses have an mRNA stage in their lifecycle. During an adventitious infection, viral transcripts are expressed alongside host mRNA. The Minaris transcriptome method is designed to examine all mRNA transcripts within a sample, enabling detection of active viral infections from both RNA and DNA viruses—without prior knowledge of the virus present.
Key features of the method include:
- Detection of active viral infection in cell banks and other cell samples
- Broad virus detection, including RNA and DNA viruses, single- and double-stranded genomes
- Species-level discrimination for precise identification
- High sensitivity, capable of detecting low-level contaminants in a background of cellular RNA
- A validated bioinformatics pipeline ensuring data integrity and security
- Alignment of filtered sequence data against the Viral Reference Database (RVDB) to evaluate adventitious virus detection
As regulatory guidance continues to evolve, updated ICH recommendations encourage the use of NGS as a replacement for traditional in vivo assays due to its breadth and sensitivity. Transcriptome NGS supports global initiatives to reduce reliance on animal testing while providing a comprehensive, modern viral safety solution.
AgentSCREEN™ GMP Adventitious Virus Detection by NGS
This poster reflects the robustness of the scientific foundation behind AgentSCREEN™, Minaris’ comprehensive GMP adventitious virus detection solution powered by NGS.
AgentSCREEN™ was developed to simplify viral safety testing by delivering:
- Broad, unbiased virus detection without prior target selection
- A streamlined testing approach that can support replacement or reduction of animal-based assays
- Robust bioinformatics and curated viral reference databases
- Regulatory-aligned validation and documentation to support client submissions
By combining advanced sequencing technology with deep virology expertise and regulatory insight, AgentSCREEN™ provides our clients with a modern, efficient, and scientifically rigorous approach to adventitious virus detection with a reduced turnaround time of just 28 days.
Congratulations to the Contributors
We extend our sincere congratulations and gratitude to the scientific team at Minaris Advanced Testing who developed this outstanding work, including Christine Mitchell, Brian Baier, and Joel Coble. We also congratulate Athenesia Faggins, whose excellent presentation at the event and scientific engagement led to this recognition.
This award reflects the dedication and collaboration of the analytical sciences team at Minaris who is working to advance viral safety strategies for therapy developers worldwide.
Download the Poster
We invite you to download the poster, “Detection of Adventitious Viruses Using Transcriptome NGS,” to explore the full methodology, validation approach, and performance data presented at PDA ATMP 2026.
To learn more about AgentSCREEN™ and how Minaris can support your viral safety testing strategy, contact our team or visit our website here.