The laboratory diagnosis of infectious diseases has traditionally relied on recovery of pathogens in cultures and for many infections, this approach remains the standard of care. The development and implementation of molecular diagnostics methods in clinical microbiology laboratories revolutionized the diagnosis of many infectious diseases, allowing for more rapid, accurate and sensitive detection of pathogens nucleic acids. The original, manual and technically demanding molecular methods have been replaced in most cases by simple and rapid methods, which has allowed implementation of these tests in a variety of laboratory settings. However, diagnostics gaps remain, and further development is needed to fill these gaps. This presentation will focus on the existing need, discuss the utility of current molecular methods and present novel and emerging applications of molecular diagnosis for infectious diseases. 

Learning Objectives: 

1. Describe existing gaps in the rapid diagnosis of infectious diseases
2. Discuss the advantages and limitations of current molecular tests for the diagnosis of infectious diseases
3. List emerging molecular methods and their potential impact on the rapid diagnosis of infectious diseases