Review article Takashi Takahashi Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Graduate School of Infection Control Sciences and Ōmura Satoshi Memorial Institute, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan Correspondence to Takashi Takahashi, E-mail: taka2si@lisci.kitasato-u.ac.jp Ann Clin Microbiol 2025;28(4):22. https://doi.org/10.5145/ACM.2025.28.4.3Received on 16 September 2025, Revised on 03 November 2025, Accepted on 03 November 2025, Published on 01 December 2025.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology.This is an Open Access article which is freely available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Abstract In the present review, we systematically examine the diverse applications of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) to elucidate the evolution of clinical microbiology. The review aims to provide novel insight and to improve understanding of the applications of WGS in clinical microbiology laboratories. It is organized into the following sections: (1) the various types of NGS machines; (2) NGS workflows for obtaining genome sequences; (3) comparative genomic analysis;

Review article Jin-Hee Han, Eun-Taek Han Department of Medical Environmental Biology and Tropical Medicine, Kangwon National University School of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea Corresponding to Eun-Taek Han, E-mail: ethan@kangwon.ac.kr Ann Clin Microbiol 2024;27(3):155-170. https://doi.org/10.5145/ACM.2024.27.3.2Received on 31 July 2024, Revised on 14 August 2024, Accepted on 16 August 2024, Published on 9 September 2024.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology.This is an Open Access article which is freely available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Abstract Recent advancements in malaria diagnostics have revolutionized the detection and management of this deadly disease. From traditional microscopy to rapid diagnostic tests and currently, to cutting-edge molecular techniques, such as isothermal amplification and different types of polymerase chain reactions, significant progress has been witnessed in enhancing the sensitivity, specificity, and accessibility of diagnostic tools. These innovations have enabled rapid and more accurate detection of malarial parasites, especially in regions with limited