Beyond ERMI

GOT MOLD? DUST TEST

A modern approach to analyzing indoor fungal communities.

Next-generation DNA sequencing and AI-driven pattern analysis designed to evaluate the broader fungal ecosystem within indoor dust.

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What's our Dust Test about...

What This Is

Widely used dust tests reduce complex fungal data to a single number based on a short, predefined list of organisms. The GOT MOLD? Dust Test takes a different approach.

It uses next generation DNA testing to examine up to hundreds of thousands of different fungi in a dust sample, instead of checking for just a few dozen.

AI and Machine-learning models then analyze patterns across the entire fungal community, identifying meaningful environmental patterns rather than producing a single index.

This allows for broader context and more grounded interpretation of indoor environments.

Scientific Foundation

The Mold Classification Tool (MCT), which powers the GOT MOLD? Dust Test, builds on licensed, published, peer-reviewed academic research in indoor environmental microbiology and reflects decades of work by leading researchers in building science and environmental health.

Foundational DNA sequence-based classification research informing this approach has been published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Science & Technology (see published study).

The underlying methods are patent-pending.

PEER-REVIEWED RESEARCH

This approach uses DNA sequence-based classification research.

How It Works

Broad DNA Analysis

Rather than testing for a limited panel of molds, the test evaluates the full fungal community present in a dust sample.

Pattern Recognition

AI and machine-learning models analyze relationships and recurring patterns within that community.

Contextual Interpretation

Results are interpreted based on environmental patterns - not reduced to a single score.

Compared to ERMI

ERMI measures 36 predefined mold species and reduces the results to a single numerical score.

This simplicity is also its limitation:

It reflects a tiny, fixed slice of the fungal world
It removes ecological context
It encourages over-interpretation of a single number

ERMI was originally developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a research tool, not a diagnostic or decision-making test for individual buildings. The EPA has stated that ERMI is not recommended for routine use in homes, schools, or other buildings outside of research settings.

EPA 36 PANELS

What's "EPA 36"

While the naming may sound different, these approaches rely on the same original 36-species panel developed for ERMI.

Broader Coverage Matters

When you only measure a small number of organisms, you risk missing the pattern.

NGS-based approaches don’t rely on a fixed species list. They allow the overall ecological signature of an environment to emerge—making it possible to distinguish normal indoor variation from patterns associated with water-damaged buildings.

This approach focuses on how the data fits together, not how high a number goes.

What This Test Is (and Isn’t)

This test is:

• An environmental interpretation framework

• Based on DNA patterns across fungal communities

• Designed to support clearer thinking about buildings

This test is not:

• A medical diagnostic

• A health score

• A predictor of symptoms or outcomes

It is intended to support conversations between homeowners, professionals, and clinicians by providing clearer environmental context—not to replace medical or professional judgment.

Who It’s For

Indoor Environmental Professionals (IEPs)
Environmental and analytical laboratories
Clinicians seeking environmental context
Informed homeowners who want clarity without fear

If mold scores have ever felt too blunt for the decisions you’re trying to make, this test was built to offer a more nuanced view.

Current Status

The GOT MOLD? Dust Test is currently in development and will be released in stages.

We’re developing this deliberately, with a focus on:

Scientific rigor
Careful validation
Responsible interpretation

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Learn about beta testing and research participation opportunities

If mold scores have ever felt too blunt for the decisions you’re trying to make, this test was built to offer a more nuanced view.