Modern clinical microbiology: new challenges and solutions

Clinical microbiology laboratories (CMLs) now have new roles, notably in early patient and outbreak management.The use of rationalized diagnostic kits can simplify sampling and analysis.The development of new assays (notably, point-of-care tests) enables CMLs to obtain a diagnosis at the time of care.The use of new technologies, in particular MALDI–TOF mass spectrometry, phenotypic microarrays and real-time genome sequencing, can help to improve the workflow and accuracy of clinical-isolate characterization.CMLs can detect the emergence of unusual microorganisms, particularly new pathotypes or organisms with antibiotic resistance, and can have a crucial role in outbreak control by warning the medical authorities.CMLs also have a role in syndromic surveillance, which can lead to the discovery of unexplained illnesses.Large CMLs can also act as strain repositories.