Next Generation Sequencing in Clinical and Public Health Microbiology

The introduction of next generation sequencing (NGS) and other high-throughput laboratory technologies are beginning to have a broad impact on clinical medicine and public health practice. These new technologies hold tremendous promise in terms of improving the speed, accuracy, and resolution of infectious disease diagnostics; public health surveillance; and outbreak detection, investigation, and response. Sustainable implementation of these technologies will require ongoing research and commitment to laboratory and informatics capacity, workforce development, and development of standardized methods and protocols.