Diagnóstico personalizado de doenças infecciosas com recurso a metagenómica

R&D proposed in MetAGNOSTICS advances cutting-edge next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies and digital tools to reduce cases of misdiagnosis in neonatal care. By replacing elusive universal protocols with robust, biospecimen-customized methods, we devise reproducibility and the most comprehensive diagnostic exams. We devised this proposal with the following main goals: - To deliver innovative NGS-based diagnostics to fast-track pathogen identification and detect challenging pathogens that are difficult to diagnose; - To provide unbiased culture-free identification of genes associated to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), at the single nucleotide polymorphisms resolution level; - To use NGS high resolution for personalised medicine and study resistance to therapy in each patient, to expedite the deescalation of antimicrobial therapy; - By strategically utilizing the close proximity of hospital laboratory facilities, we propose streamlining NGS tests for rapid and accurate diagnoses. This will provide a better knowledge on how pathogens evolve within clinical settings and increase response capabilities for both on-site emergencies and global outbreaks; - To improve medical care for patients and reduce the burden of infectious diseases to national healthcare services, with decreased number of hospitalizations and health resource expenditures. The final users of MetAGNOSTICS are vulnerable patients in neonatal care that suffer from infectious diseases, whom we want to help strive and have the healthiest growth. While doing this, we aim at improving the management of infectious diseases and antimicrobial stewardship, particularly the parsimonious use of antibiotics.