The field of diagnostic parasitology has moved forward at a tremendous pace over the past two decades. Until the end of the twentieth century, microscopic and morphological analysis was the primary method of identifying parasitic infections. Serologic analyses detecting antigens and antibodies provided a highly effective adjunct diagnostic method for some parasitic diseases. However, beginning in the early 2000’s, the advances made in molecular diagnostics have revolutionised our approach to the diagnosis of parasitic infections in both humans and animals. Conventional PCR, followed by real-time PCR, advanced the field, but these are not without limitations when applied to parasite diagnostics. More recently, advances in next generation sequencing have opened up a number of new approaches and applications which are being adopted in the diagnostic parasitology laboratories.
Despite these significant technological advances, it is still sometimes necessary to find a good parasitologist with a microscope who can identify an obscure or novel parasitic infection. I have been blessed in my career to have been involved in some small way in the development, validation or use of each of the major technological advance made in diagnostic parasitology since the late 1990’s. Despite this, I still find myself sometimes needing to use my microscope and morphology skills in providing a diagnosis. This talk will briefly summarise my journey in diagnostic parasitology from the microscope through to deep sequencing, and back again.