Scientists at the Wadsworth Center have developed a new online resource to help researchers better understand Mycobacterium abscessus (MABS), an opportunistic bacterial pathogen that can cause difficult-to-treat infections.  Drs. Anil Ojha and Pallavi Ghosh of the Division of Genetics, together with Dr. Pascal Lapierre of the Bioinformatics Core, created the MABS Pangenome Explorer, an interactive, web-based tool designed for rapid exploration of the M. abscessus pangenome (https://abscessus.wadsworth.org/)

Dr. Spencer Bruce, Director of the Bioinformatics Core at Wadsworth, recently presented during the February State Public Health Bioinformatics (StaPH-B) Monthly Call. StaPH-B is a bioinformatics consortium created by subject matter experts affiliated with the Association of Public Health Laboratories. The consortium represents bioinformaticians from across the United States and internationally who are focused on addressing common barriers to bioinformatics implementation in state and public health laboratories.

Dr. Thomas Bartlett, a new Principal Investigator in the Wadsworth Center’s Division of Genetics, was invited to present his research at the annual Dartmouth College Microbiology & Molecular Pathogenesis Program (M2P2) Retreat, held February 12–13, 2026, in Fairlee, Vermont. The M2P2 retreat convenes scientists from across New England, New York, and eastern Canada to share cutting-edge research in microbiology and infectious disease. In his seminar, “LOST IN TIME AND SPACE: How does Staph aureus decide when and where to divide?” Dr.

Dr. Kurunthachalam Kannan of the Wadsworth Center’s Division of Environmental Health Sciences (DEHS) gave the keynote presentation at the SafePlastChem conference, organized by the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) and held in Monte Verità, Switzerland, from January 26-29, 2026. 

In October 2023, the New York State Newborn Screening Program launched a landmark one-year pilot study to screen every infant born in the state for congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV). The results of this study, funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, were recently published in JAMA Network Open, confirming the feasibility of using dried blood spots for large-scale cCMV screening. While cytomegalovirus is common and often harmless in most people, infection in utero can lead to severe complications.

Dr. Abhishek Jain of the Wadsworth Center has been selected to serve as a judge for the Bioanalysis Rising Star Award 2026, presented by Bioanalysis Zone, Taylor & Francis Group. Judges for this award are recognized as leading experts in the bioanalytical community, responsible for evaluating and identifying the most promising early-career scientists whose research demonstrates innovation, rigor, and potential to advance the field. Serving as a judge highlights Dr. Jain’s expertise, leadership, and influence in shaping the next generation of bioanalytical researchers.

The New York State Department of Health’s Wadsworth Center and Division of Epidemiology are collaborating on the investigation of a Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) outbreak in northern New York State. RSV primarily causes clinically significant illness in children under five years of age and older adults, often presenting as influenza-like illness or pneumonia, and commonly requiring hospitalization in severe cases. 

A press release from Governor Hochul announces that construction is underway for the new Wadsworth Center laboratory.

Several Wadsworth Center Research Scientists and their trainees attended the 2026 Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry, held January 10-17, 2026, in Tucson, Arizona. Participants included Drs. Patrick Parsons, George Donati, and Christopher Palmer; Ms. Kayla Mehigan; and Dr. Sarah El Din, an APHL Postdoctoral Fellow. University at Albany doctoral students Deanna Luneau and Joseph Teson from Dr. Parsons’ laboratory also attended the meeting.

In January 2026, the Wadsworth Center successfully completed routine federal inspections required under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) across the Biggs Laboratory, Griffin Laboratory, and the David Axelrod Institute (DAI). A team of five CLIA surveyors conducted a comprehensive three-day on-site evaluation of clinical laboratory operations.