Catriona Halliday

TL;DR: A panfungal PCR assay that targets the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) region of the ribosomal DNA gene cluster to detect fungal DNA in fresh and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue specimens from patients with culture-proven or solely histologically proven IFIs supports the use of the panf fungus PCR assay in combination with conventional laboratory tests for accurate identification of fungi in tissue specimens.

TL;DR: An international consortium of medical mycology laboratories was formed aiming to establish a quality controlled ITS database, containing 2800 ITS sequences representing 421 fungal species, providing the medical community with a freely accessible tool to rapidly and reliably identify most agents of mycoses.

TL;DR: Use of aspergillus galactomannan and PCR to direct treatment reduced use of empirical antifungal treatment in high-risk haematology patients.

TL;DR: Non-Aspergillus IFD affected diverse patient groups, including non-immunocompromised hosts and those outside traditional risk groups; therefore, definitions of IFD in these patients are required.

TL;DR: The majority of molecular tests are polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assays focusing mainly on the detection of Candida and Aspergillus spp. from clinical samples.