[Evolution of infectious disease diagnostic testing and the possible use of genetic testing]

A diagnostic test for infection has been developed which uses the culture method but there still remains the issue of non-culturable pathogens. Although genetic testing has emerged as a solution to this problem, it is not yet widely used. There are various reasons for this which includes the gene amplification and analysis methods used as well as the users not being familiar with the selection criteria. In recent years, by using inexpensive instrumentation it has become possible to observe specimens using fluorescent staining and to easily identify the pathogens. Also equipment for gene and protein analysis has been developed that can analyze each level of gene transcription and translation in the expressed proteins. Today, due to the many developments in both analytical methods and instrumentation, major breakthroughs are being made in clinical microbiological testing. That is, first, to classify the infecting microorganism by fluorescent staining and then to identify the microorganism using DNA sequencing and mass spectrometry. In addition, the DNA sequencing and Melting curve analysis methods are used to test for antimicrobial resistance of infectious microorganisms. For non-culturable microbes and the growth response of microbes under stress conditions, the Phenotype-Microarray method is used. Therefore, once the weaknesses of each method are understood, it is possible to provide accurate and timely information to clinicians.