Simon Grimm

Hi there, I'm Simon Grimm. I am currently working on building a reliable early warning system to detect novel pandemics at the Nucleic Acid Observatory (NAO), working with Will Bradshaw, Jeff Kaufman, and others.

If you want to chat please reach out via email or Twitter. You can also find me on GitHub, Linkedin, and Goodreads.

Policy Briefs

Scaling US Pathogen Detection

Here we model how the US could dramatically scale up its pathogen detection capabilities at a funding level of $52M/year. The system design is both informed by modeling work, and NAO’s extensive experience piloting metagenomic biourveillance.

Simon Grimm, Lennart Justen, Jeff Kaufman

Scaling Pathogen Detection with Metagenomics

For the Institute for Progress’ Launch Sequence series, I describe how government deployment of metagenomic sequencing, combined with the increased use of frontier AI for data analysis, can identify both known and novel pathogens.

Accelerating the Defensive Deployment of Pathogen Sequencing

For the Techno-Industrial Policy Playbook—a collaboration by IFP, FAI, American Compass, and NAIA—I provide policy recommendations on how the US government can accelerate both environmental and clinical surveillance of new pathogen outbreaks.

White Papers

Estimating the Sensitivity of Wastewater Metagenomic Sequencing using Nasal Swabs

Using sequencing data from both NAO’s wastewater and swab sampling system, we estimate the sensitivity of wastewater metagenomic sequencing for pathogen detection.

Simon Grimm, Dan Rice, Mike McLaren

Investigating the Sensitivity of Pooled Swab Sampling for Pathogen Early Detection

Will Bradshaw and I take existing swab sample sequencing data, adjust it to better represent samples from non-hospital settings, and use the results to model the likely sensitivity of a swab-sampling and metagenomics-based early detection system.

Simon Grimm, Will Bradshaw

Comparing Sampling Strategies for Early Detection of Stealth Biothreats

Will Bradshaw and I outline how to think about the benefits and drawbacks of different sampling strategies for the early detection of asymptomatically spreading pathogens. Frameworks like the ones discussed in the report are used by the NAO to assess various sampling strategies, like wastewater or swab sampling.

Will Bradshaw, Simon Grimm

Preprints/Articles

Indoor Air Sampling for Detection of Viral Nucleic Acids

In this review we examine the sources and composition of viral bioaerosols, evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of air sampling technologies, and lay out strategies for effective implementation of air sampling programs.

Lennart Justen, Simon Grimm, Kevin Esvelt, Will Bradshaw

Inferring the Sensitivity of Wastewater Metagenomic Sequencing for Pathogen Early Detection

In this preprint, we create a modelling framework that combines epidemiological data and metagenomic sequencing data to infer the sensitivity and cost of wastewater metagenomic sequencing for pathogen early detection.

Simon Grimm, Jeff Kaufman, et al.

Blog Posts

Germany’s slow move toward supply-side reform

On why talent sorting in Germany is flawed