ASM Microbe 2026 Recap: Sequencing the Future of Microbial Science

The Annual Society of Microbiology Conference brought together thousands of microbiologists, clinicians, and industry researchers for four days of science, collaboration, and discovery at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. For the Admera Health team, the focus was meaningful conversations about the sequencing challenges researchers are facing right now and how our services and expertise are built to meet them.

From 16S rRNA and ITS sequencing to shotgun metagenomics, AMR detection, and meta-transcriptomics, we connected with researchers, clinicians, and biotech teams doing remarkable work across health, agriculture, environmental science, and industry and where Admera's expertise fits into moving it forward.

What the Microbiome Community Is Actually Talking About

If ASM Microbe had a defining theme, it was microbial discovery at scale. Researchers aren't just exploring anymore they're designing studies, scoping workflows, and asking hard questions about which sequencing approach actually fits their science. Most notably, 16S and ITS conversations are crossing into clinical and translational settings and that changes everything.

16S rRNA & ITS Sequencing Continues to Drive Microbial Discovery Across Every Field

Researchers across health, agriculture, environmental science, and industry are leaning on targeted amplicon sequencing to answer questions that weren't approachable even a few years ago.

The applications are broad but the ask is consistent: data you can publish, submit, and defend.

In Admera Health’s CAP/CLIA/CLEP-accredited environment, that's exactly what they get with flexible hypervariable region coverage, end-to-end bioinformatics, and a dedicated scientist from day one. 

The Shift to Shotgun Metagenomics Is Real

Shotgun Metagenomics

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Alongside targeted sequencing, shotgun metagenomics is gaining serious momentum. More labs are moving beyond 16S to capture the functional and strain-level resolution of their science demands — AMR gene detection, full community profiling, host-pathogen dynamics — and we're seeing more projects that integrate both.

Admera Health supports the full spectrum, from amplicon to metagenomics to single-cell and long-read workflows, with end-to-end bioinformatics built in. 

Admera’s automated workflow for sample extraction and both short‑ and long‑read library preparation, enables us to process large‑scale sample sets in a high‑throughput manner.

Challenging Samples, Uncompromising Standards

Sequencing approaches were front and center, but what kept surfacing was more fundamental: reliable data, transparent communication, and a partner who already understands your sample. One thing that consistently resonated is our ability to handle challenging samples — low-biomass inputs and complex environmental matrices. Where other providers struggle, we've built deep expertise. It's not a workaround. It's what we do. 

Our microbial sequencing services are built around high-quality data delivery, straightforward project management, and PhD scientific support from start to finish — because your research deserves more than a transaction. 

What's Next

The badges are off, but this week is where the real work begins. Our team is actively following up on every conversation from the show and if we didn't connect in person, it's not too late.

Let's talk →

We'll see you at ASM Microbe 2027. Check back soon for more updates!


Research Powered by Admera Health

The research Admera Health supports spans fields, organisms, and continents. Discover the peer-reviewed science Admera Health has helped make possible.

AMR Surveillance

Tracking Antibiotic Resistance Genes Through Wastewater and River Systems

AMR Surveillance Cover
AMR surveillance was a recurring theme on the conference floor — and for good reason. A 2026 study published in Cell Reports (Makumbi et al.) used shotgun metagenomics on extracellular DNA isolated from nine South African wastewater treatment plants and their receiving rivers to profile resistance genes and mobile genetic elements across the full treatment continuum. Admera Health provided sequencing for this work. The study found that resistance persists through treatment and accumulates downstream in river systems — a finding with direct implications for environmental AMR monitoring programs.

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Public Health

Foodborne Pathogen Surveillance Across Africa

Surveillance in low- and middle-income countries is one of the hardest sequencing problems in public health. A 2025 Nature Communications study (Thystrup et al.) combined whole-genome sequencing and shotgun metagenomics to characterize Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli, and Campylobacter from human, animal, food, and environmental sources across Ethiopia, Nigeria, Mozambique, and Tanzania. Admera Health performed library preparation and sequencing on a subset of isolates and metagenomic samples for this multi-country FOCAL project study. The work demonstrated that metagenomic sequencing can serve as a practical, culture-independent complement to WGS-based surveillance — particularly where culturing infrastructure is limited.

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Public Health Cover
Invertebrate Biology | RNA-seq

Invertebrate Biology: Diet Effects in Planarians and Ant Reproductive Aging

Two published studies highlight Admera's role supporting RNA-seq in non-traditional model organisms — an area of growing interest as researchers push beyond standard models.

Diet & Gene Expression in Planarians

In a 2025 Biomolecules paper (Pacis et al., Swarthmore College), Admera performed RNA-seq library preparation and sequencing on whole Dugesia japonica planarians to compare gene expression between worms maintained on a beef liver diet versus commercially available red midge larvae. Only 0.5% of detected transcripts were differentially expressed between diets — a reassuring result for labs considering diet substitutions in toxicology screening programs using this emerging invertebrate model.

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Diet and Gene Expression in Planarians
Reproductive Aging in Harvester Ant Queens

In a 2025 npj Aging paper (Vergara-Martínez et al., UNAM), Admera performed mRNA-seq on dissected ovarian tissue from Pogonomyrmex barbatus harvester ant queens and workers. The study identified approximately 2,000 caste-specific differentially expressed genes linked to metabolism, hormonal signaling, and epigenetic regulation — providing molecular insight into how queen ants decouple reproductive output from aging.

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Reproductive Aging in Harvester Ant Queens
Agricultural Science

Engineering Crop Defense and Reading the Insect Gut Response

A 2026 BioDesign Research paper (ul Malook et al., University of Tennessee) used shotgun metagenomics to profile gut microbial communities in beet armyworm larvae fed on metabolically engineered Nicotiana benthamiana expressing novel sesquiterpene biosynthesis genes. The study showed that engineered sesquiterpenes reduced gut microbial species richness and shifted community composition — a mechanistic window into how plant chemical defenses interact with herbivore microbiomes. This kind of host-associated metagenomics on insect gut material is exactly the type of challenging, low-biomass sample where platform expertise matters.

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Agricultural Science Cover

Meet the Team Who Represented Admera Health

Sarah Deeb, Sales Executive, M.S. Five years in NGS, with a sharp ability to translate complex sequencing challenges into actionable research plans. Sarah bridges science and strategy so your project moves forward not sideways.

Shannon Piehl - Senior Sales Executive. With a career spanning NGS applications, sample prep, and genomics sales, Shannon brings end-to-end expertise that few can match - from the bench to the bottom line.

She helps researchers and biopharma teams cut through complexity and move their sequencing projects forward with confidence.

Sumant Grover, Sales Executive, Ph.D. Sumant brings scientific depth to every conversation — from early-stage study design to complex collaborative workflows. If your project needs a PhD thought partner, start here.

Contact us to discuss your project and workflow needs.


Admera Health provides end-to-end genomic services including NGS, multi-omics, and spatial biology solutions for academic, clinical, and biopharma research. Contact us to discuss your project and workflow needs.

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Single-Cell RNA Sequencing: A Beginner's Guide to Getting Started