The use of metagenomic sequencing is becoming well-known in human microbiome testing. As high-throughput sequencing becomes more readily available and cost is lowering, more medical testing laboratories are considering the clinical use of shotgun metagenomics.
Clinical applications include identification of infectious agents directly from specimens, including when pathogens are not readily detected using conventional diagnostics. The diagnosis of systemic and central nervous system infections are examples of breakthroughs that have been described. In addition to pathogen identification and microbiome analysis, metagenomics can also be used to explore potential antimicrobial resistance. Clinical metagenomics can assist with therapeutic decision-making, as well as infection prevention and control. Understanding the benefits and barriers in the context of the clinical application is necessary to ensure safe clinical practice and determine regulatory compliance.
In this presentation, Schlebusch will decode and explore the use of metagenomics in clinical practice.
About Dr. Schlebusch
Dr. Schlebusch is an experienced clinical microbiologist recognised for her research, expertise and implementation of innovative technologies for diagnosis of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance. She has been the Director of Microbiology at Mater Pathology in Brisbane for the last 7 years. She has recently been appointed as Staff Specialist at Forensic and Scientific Services, Health Support Queensland. Forensic and Scientific Services is Queensland’s reference laboratory for notifiable conditions and routinely performs whole genome sequencing for disease surveillance, disease outbreaks and research.
Pathology Horizons | 8-10th August 2019
Dr. Schlebusch will present on Clinical Metagenomics at the Pathology Horizons conference in Queenstown, New Zealand.
The conference is an annual and open CPD event organised by Cirdan to discuss what developments lie ahead in Pathology and what we can do to prepare or take advantage of these. Dr. Schlebusch will be joined by 13 more international industry experts with some of the topics including:
- FHIR: transforming the pathology business relationship
- Cancer Immunotherapy Biomarker
- Digital Pathology
- Light-sheet Microscopy
- Machine Learning in Pathology
- ctDNA testing for cancer
**Given the boutique nature of this conference places are limited, so please book early to guarantee your place.**