Various "omics" methods have recently revolutionized molecular diagnostics. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) makes it possible to sequence a human genome in just one day. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) greatly improves the ability to investigate the outbreaks of numerous pathogens. Metagenomics helps to analyze the microbiome, which aids greatly in identifying the pathogenesis of infectious diseases. Proteomic-based methods, namely matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), have a promising role in identifying myctobacteria and fungi, and predicting antimicrobial resistance.

While there are numerous scientific publications on "omics" applications for microbiology, there are relatively few books that review this topic from a clinical diagnostics perspective. This book looks at this field from a holistic viewpoint, instead of limiting by type of "omics" technology, in order to cover the body of knowledge needed for practitioners andacademics interested in clinical and public health microbiology. Additionally, it addresses the management, economical, regulatory and operational aspects of integrating these technologies into routine diagnostics.

Ch 1: Overview of Microbial NGS

Ch 2: WGS for Bacterial Identification and Susceptibility Testing
Ch 3: WGS for Bacterial Virulence Assessment
Ch 4: Epidemiological Typing by WGS 
Ch 5: Bioinformatics Approaches for WGS Analysis
Ch 6: WGS for Clinical Virology
Ch 7: WGS for Clinical Mycology
Ch 8: WGS for Clinical Parasitology 
Ch 9: Long Read Sequencing
Ch 10: Aspects of WGS Integration
Ch 11: Microbiome Analysis
Ch 12: Metagenomics of Environmental Samples
Ch 13: Clinical Metagenomics 
Ch 14: Metagenomics for Pathogen Discovery
Ch 15: Advanced Applications for MALDI-TOF: Typing
Ch 16: Advanced Applications for MALDI-TOF: Infectious Diseases and Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing (AST)
Ch 17: Omics for Food and Water Microbiology
Ch 18: Omics for Forensic and Post-Mortem Microbiology
Ch 19: Omics for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance
Ch 20: Total Laboratory Automation.