Nanopore sequencing for malaria molecular surveillance: opportunities and challenges

William L Hamilton; Deus S Ishengoma; Jonathan B Parr; Daniel J Bridges; Alyssa E Barry

doi:10.1016/j.pt.2023.09.014

Nanopore sequencing for malaria molecular surveillance: opportunities and challenges

Trends Parasitol. 2023 Dec;39(12):996-1000. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.09.014. Epub 2023 Oct 19.

Authors

William L Hamilton¹, Deus S Ishengoma², Jonathan B Parr³, Daniel J Bridges⁴, Alyssa E Barry⁵

Affiliations

¹ Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1RQ, UK; University of Cambridge, Department of Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK; Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK. Electronic address: wh2@sanger.ac.uk.
² National Institute for Medical Research, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, VIC, Australia.
³ Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
⁴ PATH, National Malaria Elimination Center, Chainama Hospital Grounds, Great East Road, Lusaka, Zambia.
⁵ Centre for Innovation in Infectious Disease and Immunology Research, IMPACT, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia; Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia. Electronic address: a.barry@deakin.edu.au.

PMID: 37865609
DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.09.014

Abstract

Nanopore-based sequencing platforms offer the potential for affordable malaria molecular surveillance (MMS) in resource-limited settings to track and ultimately counteract emerging threats, such as drug resistance and diagnostic escape. Here, we discuss opportunities and challenges to implementing MMS using nanopore sequencing, highlighting priority areas for technical development and innovation.

Keywords: antimalarial resistance; genomics; malaria; nanopore; surveillance.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Drug Resistance
Humans
Malaria* / diagnosis
Malaria* / epidemiology
Malaria* / prevention & control
Nanopore Sequencing*
Resource-Limited Settings