Molecular epidemiology describes a process of identifying the genetic basis of disease, including variants within hosts and pathogens that influence infection, transmission, and prevention. Molecular epidemiologists typically focus on determining sources of infection, tracking transmission routes, and identifying genes responsible for virulence and drug resistance, to support hospital infection control and epidemiological investigations.
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) allows highly accurate, hypothesis-free analysis of multiple isolates for detection, replacing multiple tests to identify organisms and examine resistance and virulence. In contrast, traditional methods of pathogen identification and characterization are often guided by serial hypotheses and are optimized for only a limited number of organisms.
In combination with extensive epidemiological findings, the portable iSeq 100 System enabled local scientists to analyze transmission patterns and trace the outbreak's origin.
Read ArticleHealthcare-acquired infections are a major healthcare concern. Outbreak detection is possible through comprehensive isolate discrimination and characterization.
Read App NoteIllumina NGS was used to sequence the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus genome, in combination with other technologies, as published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Read ArticleCompare NGS methods and find solutions to detect and characterize SARS-CoV-2, track transmission routes, study co-infection, and investigate viral evolution.
Learn MoreA key advantage of NGS is that researchers can generate genome sequence data capable of identifying a range of organisms (bacteria, viruses, and parasites). Examining variations across genomes supports cross-sectional studies for better understanding of mechanisms that lead to infection and spread, as well as phylogenetic analysis to determine relatedness among organisms.
High-resolution pathogen typing using whole-genome sequencing data can differentiate organisms that many older methods cannot distinguish.
Microbial whole-genome sequencing can help epidemiologists overcome traditional challenges of tracking disease origins and investigating outbreaks.
Get an introduction to genomic epidemiology as Dr. Jennifer Gardy explains how NGS is adding muscle to public health efforts and how it was used to reconstruct outbreaks of tuberculosis in British Columbia, Canada.
Read article: Staying Ahead of the Next Outbreak
View VideoNGS supports effective strategies to identify emerging pathogens, study zoonotic reservoirs, and prevent further transmission.
This NGS-based workflow targets respiratory pathogens and antimicrobial resistance alleles, and offers simplified data analysis powered by IDbyDNA.
Accelerate coronavirus detection and identification, perform host response studies, simplify your sample tracking, and contribute to public databases, free of charge.
Illumina partners with Naked Genetics to engage audiences in the world of next-generation sequencing
Read articleWhole-genome shotgun sequencing and transcriptomics provide researchers and pharmaceutical companies with data to refine drug discovery and development.
Read InterviewAt AGBT 2024, Illumina presented several studies, highlighting improvements to NextSeq Systems and more
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