Abstract
More than 200 participants from Europe, Asia, Africa and South America attended the two days ICGEB Workshop on Next Generation Diagnostics, 22/03/2018-24/03/2018, at the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts (MASA) in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. The meeting provided an overview of the current and future use of next generation sequencing (NGS), proteomics and other high-throughput technologies in the diagnostic setup of malignant, inherited and communicable diseases. In addition, considerable emphasis was placed on the potential use of these techniques for disease prognostication, patient stratification and monitoring responses to therapy. Specific topics included NGS-based diagnostics of solid tumors, hematological malignancies, inherited and infectious diseases, proteomic-based approaches for biomarker discovery, predictive biomarkers for personalized treatment strategies, and bioinformatic analysis of NGS data. The meeting also provided a unique platform for fruitful discussions between internationally recognized experts and young researchers from developing countries, providing new perspectives and ideas on broader implementation of these techniques for personalized management and care.