The Diagnostic Gap
MicroGenDX
Three transplant clinicians discuss how qPCR and NGS molecular diagnostics are being applied in lung transplant care, where heavily immunosuppressed recipients face some of the highest infection-related risks in solid organ transplantation and where conventional culture often falls short. The conversation covers real-world experience using MicroGenDX in both surveillance and for-cause bronchoalveolar lavage, the diagnostic yield observed against conventional culture, faster turnaround for slow-growing and hard-to-culture organisms, antimicrobial resistance gene detection, antibiotic stewardship, cost considerations, and the future of pairing molecular pathogen detection with cell-free DNA and microbiome research. The panel is consistent on one point: molecular testing complements conventional culture and clinical judgment rather than replacing them, and interpretation belongs to a multidisciplinary team. This discussion reflects the clinical experience and opinions