Whole genome sequencing in clinical and public health microbiology. Issue 3 (April 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kwong, J. C.; McCallum, N.; Sintchenko, V.; Howden, B. P.
• Is Part Of: Pathology. Volume 47:Issue 3(2015:Apr.)
• Publication Date: 2015-04
• Subjects: Pathology -- Periodicals; 616.0705
• DOI: 10.1097/PAT.0000000000000235
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0031-3025

Abstract

<abstract> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec> <title>Summary</title> <p>Genomics and whole genome sequencing (WGS) have the capacity to greatly enhance knowledge and understanding of infectious diseases and clinical microbiology.</p> <p>The growth and availability of bench-top WGS analysers has facilitated the feasibility of genomics in clinical and public health microbiology.</p> <p>Given current resource and infrastructure limitations, WGS is most applicable to use in public health laboratories, reference laboratories, and hospital infection control-affiliated laboratories.</p> <p>As WGS represents the pinnacle for strain characterisation and epidemiological analyses, it is likely to replace traditional typing methods, resistance gene detection and other sequence-based investigations (e.g., 16S rDNA PCR) in the near future.</p> <p>Although genomic technologies are rapidly evolving, widespread implementation in clinical and public health microbiology laboratories is limited by the need for effective semi-automated pipelines, standardised quality control and data interpretation, bioinformatics expertise, and infrastructure.</p> </sec> </abstract>