Advancing Next-Generation Microbiome Sequencing from Research Assays to Clinical Diagnostic Tests

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Ashley Rooney, from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, will join 13th World Congress on Targeting Microbiota - ISM 2026 as a speaker.

Next-generation sequencing has transformed microbiome research by allowing for the detailed characterization of microbial communities and their associations with human health and disease. However, translating these insights into clinically meaningful applications remains a challenge. Species-level identification through affordable, high-throughput sequencing approaches can provide important biological insights, but certain clinical questions may need even greater resolution to the strain-level. This presentation will explore advances in microbiome sequencing and the importance of taxonomic resolution for different applications. Attention will also be given to the standardization and validation of microbiome analysis workflows needed for reproducible clinical implementation. Finally, emerging host-microbe metatranscriptomics will be discussed as a path to move beyond microbial identification toward the advancement of microbiome-based precision diagnostics.