Microbial keratitis are one of the most severe emergencies in ophthalmology and a world leading cause of preventable blindness. Diagnosis is challenging due to the multitude of possible pathogens mimicking similar clinical presentations. Sensitivity of traditional culture-based assays usually ranges from 40 to 70 %.

 

Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology will be used to study the microbial communities directly in their natural environment, through whole genome sequencing, switching from cultured to uncultured genetic-guided diagnosis is the more appropriate diagnostic approach towards microbial keratitis. Samples will be obtained using scrapes, swabs and impression membranes and will be sent to the laboratory for NGS and CDM. The metagenomic tests will be performed on the samples using high-throughput platforms, such as Illumina HiSeq2500 and MiSeq.

Clinical impact will be revolutionary, because ophthalmologists will have information on the precise microbiota/microbiome of all samples rather than the 40% of those from which an organism has been isolated.

 

Further details can be found here: https://education.escrs.org/metagenomics/#