Manual of Molecular Microbiology: Fundamentals and Applications

Your essential guide to the design, operation, management, and health care integration of the modern molecular microbiology laboratory. This comprehensive resource offers definitive guidance on the operational and interpretive aspects of clinical molecular microbiology. Tailored for medical laboratory professionals, it provides practical “how-to” guidance for establishing, maintaining, and advancing molecular microbiology testing services and details the unique expertise required to support infectious disease diagnostics. The Manual offers a clear and practical roadmap for topics ranging from selecting appropriate technologies, instruments, and analytic pipelines to navigating complex interpretive challenges and positioning diagnostic testing services for future clinical and population health needs. Beginning with foundational technologies and their clinical applications, this book offers accessible overviews of each method's potential, implications, and emerging roles. Subsequent sections dive meticulously into details of laboratory setup, design, and operations, empowering readers with hands-on insights for routine and advanced testing methods, including advanced sequencing technologies. It also tackles the nuanced challenges of interpreting and reporting results from cutting-edge diagnostics, including those focused on antimicrobial resistance and metagenomics. The final section explores the broader impact of molecular microbiology on value-based care, with discussions on clinical management, laboratory stewardship, and the future of molecular diagnostics in public health. Comprehensive and forward-looking, the Manual of Molecular Microbiology equips readers with both foundational knowledge and practical expertise, making it an indispensable reference for today's clinical laboratory professionals.

About the Author

Karen C. Carroll, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.

John P. Dekker, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.

Alexander J. McAdam, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.

Donna M. Wolk, Geisinger, Diagnostic Medicine Institute, Danville, PA; The Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Scranton, PA, USA.