For more than 15 years, School of Plant and Environmental Sciences professor Boris Vinatzer has been developing new ways to rapidly and accurately identify pathogens that threaten human, animal, and plant health. His work — grounded in genomics, computation, and international collaboration — positions Virginia Tech as a leader in global biosecurity and disease surveillance.

At the center of this effort is a powerful computational platform known as the Genome Archive, a tool developed together with professor emeritus Lenny Heath of the Department of Computer Science. The platform is designed to determine exactly which pathogen is present in a biological sample and to quickly share such results with other scientists. Vinatzer and his team have paired this software with advanced laboratory methods to create a system capable of extracting and analyzing all genetic material from any plant or animal sample.

“Our goal is to identify any pathogen, from any sample, as quickly and accurately as possible,” Vinatzer said.

A program built to strengthen global biosecurity 

Vinatzer’s research program focuses on developing tools and workflows that support biosecurity and disease surveillance across agriculture, veterinary medicine, and public health. The team is currently working toward establishing a diagnostic center at Virginia Tech that would process samples, run full genomic extractions, and use computational tools to identify pathogens.

The center is approximately two years into development, with plans to begin offering fee‑based diagnostic services by 2027. Assistant professor Sahar Abdelrazek and professor Kevin Lahmers of the Virginia‑Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine are key partners in shaping the center’s capabilities and outreach. As well as Plant Disease Clinic director Lina Rodriguez Salamanca, also housed in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences.

Why rapid pathogen identification matters

In a world where diseases can move across continents in days, speed is essential. 

“If an outbreak is local and you identify it quickly, it’s relatively easy to contain,” Vinatzer said. “If you’re too slow, it can spread across global boundaries, as we know so well from COVID.”

This principle applies equally to human pandemics, livestock diseases, and plant pathogens that threaten food security. Vinatzer’s tools aim to give researchers, clinicians, and agricultural professionals the ability to respond before a localized issue becomes a widespread crisis.

Breakthroughs and national impact

Vinatzer’s team has achieved several milestones that have drawn national and international attention: 

  • Development of what he describes as the fastest website for identifying any type of pathogen, accessible to users worldwide

  • Early adoption of the Genome Archive by the CDC for identifying human pathogens

  • A major NSF grant in partnership with researchers at UC Davis and the University of Strathclyde in Scotland

  • Five years of collaboration with the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and other partners to validate pathogen detection methods 

  • A workshop that trained assistant professors from universities across the country to use the Genome Archive in research and teaching

Recent peer‑reviewed studies have also demonstrated the power of the VT‑PLANS approach. In Phytopathology, Vinatzer and collaborators showed how the system can rapidly identify plant pathogens directly from infected tissue, offering a faster and more precise alternative to traditional diagnostic methods.

A complementary study published in Microbiology Spectrum further validated the approach across a broader range of plant disease samples, underscoring its potential as a scalable tool for agricultural biosecurity.

Boris Vinatzer presents at the Pathogen Identification and Disease Surveillance Workshop. Photo courtesy of Boris Vinazter

Boris Vinatzer presents at the Pathogen Identification and Disease Surveillance Workshop. Photo courtesy of Boris Vinazter
Boris Vinatzer presents at the Pathogen Identification and Disease Surveillance Workshop. Photo courtesy of Boris Vinazter

Training students at the intersection of disciplines

A defining feature of Vinatzer’s program is its interdisciplinary approach to graduate education. Ph.D. students are trained at the intersection of computer science and life sciences, gaining experience in genomics, computational biology, and real‑world disease diagnostics.

Students also collaborate with researchers across departments, institutions, and countries, sharing data and results as part of ongoing projects. Many engage with the Plant Disease Clinic, where they gain hands‑on experience with agricultural disease challenges.

“They learn from professors across fields and from collaborators in other countries,” Vinatzer said. “It’s a unique environment for developing the next generation of scientists.” 

The future VT Plans Pathogen Identification Center

Although still in development, the VT-PLANS Pathogen Identification Center will serve as a centralized hub for processing plant and animal samples, running genomic analyses, and standardizing how results are reported. The center will also support outreach to agricultural producers, veterinarians, and researchers seeking rapid diagnostic support.

As Vinatzer’s team continues refining the Genome Archive and building the infrastructure for the diagnostic center, they are also exploring new partnerships. Interest from federal agencies, universities, and industry partners suggests that Virginia Tech’s tools could become a cornerstone of global pathogen identification.